Overwhelming Hate
by Sir Zesto
Summary: What if the Naruto universe was slightly different? Naruto is smarter and better trained, Sasuke is a girl, and there is someone who is hated and looked down upon more than either of them. Only thing is, he had no one to look out for him...until now. Join Kirai as he sets out to become an honorable and respectable shinobi of Konohagakure.
1. Apathy

**A/N: Sorry for uploading so late! Found out I actually hadn't finished constructing my OC, so I needed to finish that. Anyways, here is my new story. I already have the main pairings set up (there are three), so all of those characters are out of the running (includes my OC obviously). They will not be revealed for some time however, so feel free to guess until then. I will be using my uploaded encyclopedia for this story's jutsu, so check that out for descriptions and more info. Hope you guys enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except the name, concept, and description of my OC. *chokes back sob* I wish Naruto was mine...maybe in another time, another universe, he is.**

* * *

 **Apathy**

Naruto glared across at his eternal rival, his arch-nemesis…Uchiha Sasuke. Or should he say, Uchiha _Mito_. For years, the female Uchiha had hid as a male among her fellow classmates. However, she finally exploded one day when her fan club was especially annoying. In fact, she had warned them that any further stalking would be met with force. Naruto sighed in remembrance of his former crush, Haruno Sakura. She hadn't listened, thinking it to be a hoax. She followed Mito home before getting caught up in a particularly nasty ninja wire trap. It had severed some key tendons, apparently, causing her to be knocked out of the shinobi program.

"Oi, dobe," called the Uchiha, smiling evilly. "I heard you somehow made it to the top of the class. Nicely done." Naruto sneered at the smug Uchiha. "However, I wonder who we are going to be teamed up with? After all, Furyō-kun **(A/N: "failure/delinquent" in Japanese)** didn't pass the exam yesterday." The blonde Uzumaki frowned at the girl's point. Furyō was the nickname given to the Academy dead-last: Kirai **(A/N: "hate" in Japanese)**. The boy was always quiet, rarely ever speaking. However, he was even more hated than Naruto was by the teaching staff. Even Iruka-sensei ignored him most of the time. Whenever Naruto asked his sensei about it, he waved him off, made an excuse, or changed the subject.

"I don't know, Sas-uke," he responded, getting a snarl out of the Uchiha. He smirked at his inventive nickname. He looked around at his classmates before his eyes stopped on one in particular. "Probably Kiba." Mito groaned at that information. Even though she didn't have a massive fan club after she revealed her true gender, a few guys got on her nerves often with the leader of the pack being Inuzuka Kiba. He thought himself to be the top dog in the class, which was true for taijutsu. Even Naruto had trouble beating him when he wasn't serious. However, he stank at academics and theory with passable ninjutsu. Therefore, with Kirai gone, he was the dead-last.

"Ah, Mito-chan! Aren't you excited to be on a team with your sexy Kiba-kun?" the feral boy questioned, striking what he probably thought to be a macho pose. Naruto snickered at the clueless mutt while Mito groaned in agony at the Inuzuka's antics. However, she was saved from doing anything by an unexpected ally. A muscled boy had yanked the Inuzuka down from his perch, glaring at him with ice blue eyes. His brow furrowed before he shoved the boy away in annoyance.

"Lay off, Kiba," he ordered, stalking past the stammering Inuzuka to the upper levels, a pensive look on his face. He took his seat before messing with his shock of orange hair, trying to get it into some semblance of order.

"Oi, Furyō-baka! Only ninja who passed the test are allowed in here!" challenged Kiba, his arms crossed and a cocky grin on his face. Kirai opened one eye to dispassionately regard the loud boy. He pulled out a long red belt before tossing it to the confused genin. Mito and Naruto both raised an eyebrow at the metal plate that was on the front of it. It was quickly jerked out of the Inuzuka's hands by a piece of ninja wire that Kirai had attached to the back, returning it to its amused owner. The dead-last deftly tied it to his waist, positioning the plate in the back, hidden from view.

"Is that proof enough, Kiba? I got the plate from Hokage-sama himself before having a custom belt made," explained Kirai as he resumed his resting. Before Kiba could disturb him once more, Iruka walked into the room. He narrowed his eyes before barking at the upstart genin.

"Kiba! Sit down!" The command garnered immediate action from the hooded boy, whose mouth audibly clacked shut. The chūnin's eyes moved to Kirai, softening momentarily as the scarred shinobi smiled gently. "Congratulations to all of you. You have become fine shinobi and kunoichi of Konohagakure. Now, we are going to team you up in three-man squads with a jōnin sensei as your leader." He pulled out a clipboard and began to read through various names. Naruto and Mito tuned them out, however. They now knew their team make-up.

"As long as the two idiots don't slow me down, we'll be just fine," she mumbled, glaring at an excited Naruto and a disinterested Kirai. However, something seemed off about the genin. He opened his eyes and returned her stare before turning his head away with a light blush dusting his cheeks. Mito sighed at the reaction. Everyone knew that Kirai liked her, thanks to Kiba blurting his secret out like an idiot. Their relationship had been strained ever since, which was probably the reason for the issues they were currently having.

"Team 7 will be led by Hatake Kakashi," announced Iruka, causing Naruto sit up straighter with wide eyes. "It will be composed of Uchiha Mito, Uzumaki Naruto, and Kirai." Mito glanced at the orange-haired genin, surprised at his lack of a response. He seemed to be reading a scroll very intently. He looked down at his bare upper chest which was unblocked by his dark gray fighting top. She always wondered at his choice of clothing. His top only came to below his pecs, leaving his stomach open to view. The sleeves stopped about halfway down his forearms, the cuffs folded over a single time. His pants bunched up at the the thigh before they disappeared into a pair of black Anbu boots. Now, his red belt adorned his waist, tied on the left side in a firm knot. Mito returned her attention to her former sensei as he ended the team announcements. "I hope all of you will protect Konoha with your lives and keep the Will of Fire burning forever," he proudly proclaimed before he sat down and began to organize his desk.

* * *

1st Person POV – Kirai

Mito-chan seemed to be annoyed at the prospect of working with me while Naruto-san was apathetic towards it. However, he seemed to have some knowledge of our sensei if his straightened, alert posture was anything to go by. These last few days had been trying times. I discovered why I was hated without exception, minus Iruka-sensei and Hokage-sama. I returned my attention to the scroll, reviewing the three techniques I had managed to glean from the Scroll of Seals before Iruka-sensei had arrived.

 _Like the basic Clone Technique, the Shadow Clone Technique creates copies of the user. However, these clones are corporeal instead of illusions. The user's chakra is evenly distributed among every clone, giving each clone an equal fraction of the user's overall power. The clones can perform techniques, including the Shadow Clone Technique itself, on their own and can even bleed, but will usually disperse after hit by a strong enough force. The clones can also disperse on their own or be dispelled by the user of the technique. The user will also gain the memories of their clones, making them useful for training and espionage, which was the original reason the Nidaime Hokage created the jutsu._

This was a boon to me, even though I couldn't use it in large quantities at the moment. Last night, I had only managed to make four, although that had been enough to take down Mizuki-teme with. I snorted at that before re-focusing on the remaining techniques.

 _At first glance, it seems to be the regular Clone Technique. However, haze clone uses a cunning trap to lure out the enemy. Using this technique together with Doton: Dochū Eigyo no Jutsu, the enemy is led to believe that the real body is among the clones. As the haze clones are not physically real, the attack will just pass through them. While attention is drawn to the clones, the real body attacks from the blind spot. During the illusion and resulting chaos, the enemy, who is caught up in the technique, can be easily defeated. The Kage Bunshin no Jutsu can also be used to intersperse solid clones with the illusionary ones to add even more confusion and damage the opponents even further._

This one was definitely worth learning. It was only a D-Rank jutsu and had only two hand seals, one more than the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. If these two were mixed together, it would be great for traps. I don't know why it was included here, but I was happy that it was. The last one would be very tricky, though.

 _Kinjutsu: Doro Ningyō allows the user to make a duplicate of their opponent using Doton. The duplicate can use all of the same moves that a user is known to use, making it a great counter for known threats. However, new users of this technique will find it hard to copy the physical attributes of the opponent at first, leaving their copy to be weaker than the original. However, an experienced user of this technique will have no issue with creating a perfect duplicate. Masters are even stated to have added attributes to them through the imparting of their own techniques and knowledge, making this jutsu deadly in the hands of an intelligent shinobi. However, there is a significant cost of chakra involved, often leaving the user tired from using it._

This would make fighting me annoying, especially when I learned more techniques. Just think: suddenly, you are fighting the Shodaime Hokage, but he is a weapons master and has Katon as well as Mokuton. I was jerked from studying as jōnin began to file in to pick up their students. Iruka sighed when I looked at him questioningly before he gasped in shock, staring at a lazy-looking figure who stood amongst the crowd of elite shinobi. His gravity-defying hair turned as he fixed a single, flinty eye on Naruto. His facemask twitched slightly as he suppressed a smile before he spoke.

"Team 7, meet me on the rooftop. You have five minutes," he ordered before disappearing in a cloud of smoke and leaves. I leapt from my seat and bolted out the door, noticing that both Naruto and Mito sped for the window. I ignored it, however, in favor of speeding towards the fire escape. I leapt up the staircase, bounding off of the walls with chakra. I burst through the door, only to find an unruffle Mito and Naruto sitting next to each other, boredom written across their features. The Uchiha heiress turned to me with a mean smile on her face.

"What took so long, Furyō-kun?" she drawled, causing me to frown and Naruto to grin dangerously. Our sensei's eye ignited with rage for a brief moment before it returned to an empty, uncaring orb. He motioned for me to take a seat before he whipped out an orange book that I recognized intimately. I had found a package of them sitting on my doorstep once and had been sitting on my shelf ever since.

"Sensei, have you gotten to the part where Tsuna rejects Dani for the writed, Jira?" I asked innocently, getting a shocked expression from my two teammates and an overjoyed one from my sensei. I shrugged helplessly. "They are well-written books, even if they are erotic novels." I blinked in amazement when I felt my sensei's hand patting my head.

"So far, Kirai-kun, you are my favorite," he stated, causing me to grin in stunned joy. No one had ever praised me like that before. "Make sure not to disappoint, okay?" I nodded vigorously, taking note of the fond look he had in his eyes when he looked at me. Seems like someone else knew my mom from Anbu after all. He returned to the railing before resuming his reading. "I have already read this book, but I do remember that scene. Always makes me cry when Dani watches in grief as Tsuna walks away." I nodded sagely at the observation while my teammates continued to catch flies in their mouths. Kakashi-sensei eye-smiled before he snapped his fingers, regaining their attention. "Alright. Let's start with some introductions. Give me your name, likes and dislikes, what you want to specialize in, your hobbies, and any dreams for the future." He pointed to me. "You first, Rai-kun." I sighed at the shortened name before I set my face.

"I am Kirai, no last name," I stated, squaring my shoulders in preparation. "I like miso soup and tempura, especially shrimp. I also enjoy reading good literature." Tears of proud joy began to flow from the masked jōnin's visible eye. "I dislike those who judge someone from circumstances outside of their control, ramen, and dango." I heard a horrified gasp from Naruto at my declaration, but I pushed on. "I want to be a balanced shinobi with a focus on weapons and genjutsu. I enjoy drawing, painting, and acting when the chance arises." I breathed in deeply before reopening my eyes. "My dream is to show that I am a loyal Konoha shinobi, unlike my family. Then, everyone will respect me because of my determination and hard-earned skills!" My declaration was met with silent awe from Naruto, begrudging respect from Mito, and a genuine eye-smile from Kakashi.

"That was good, Kirai. Next, blondie." Naruto perked up and began his tried-and-true diatribe about ramen, ramen, ramen, and being Hokage. Kakashi-sensei smiled at him before turning his attention to Mito. And lastly, Miss Prissy." Naruto laughed loudly while I smirked vengefully. The heiress scoffed behind laced fingers before beginning her introduction.

"My name is Uchiha Mito. I like tomatoes and that's about it. I hate fanboys and fangirls, and dislike most everyone I meet. I am going to be a kenjutsu, ninjutsu, and taijutsu master, like my clan members before me. I train in my free time so I can achieve my goal. And, rest assured, it will become a reality." Her eyes closed before re-opening, a Sharingan spinning wildly. "I will find the man who murdered my family and enact my vengeance upon him." Complete silence reigned at the proclamation. I stared at the peeved girl with wariness before noticing the lack of shock on both Kakashi and Naruto's faces. _'Well, guess they already knew. I feel so out of the loop.'_

"Well, that was great!" chirped Kakashi with fake enthusiasm. "Meet me tomorrow at training ground 7, 0500 hours sharp. Bye." He disappeared again, making me sigh. I stood up, brushing off my pants. I felt a hand grasp my shirt firmly, causing my eyes to lock with Mito's spinning red ones. The Sharingan was truly unnerving.

"Now that you know my ambition, I expect you to stay out of my way," she ordered. "You were no good in the Academy, so you are just dead weight to me" She pushed me aside before stomping off, a frowning Naruto close behind her. I huffed before adopting the mask I had worn for years. My apathetic face belied the anger, hurt, and nervousness broiling in my gut as I returned home to prepare for tomorrow.

* * *

 **Hope you guys liked my explanations and renaming of Sasuke. My inspiration was that he was named that in canon because of Hiruzen's father, Sasuke Sarutobi. Therefore, if Sasuke was a girl, they would name her after Mito Uzumaki, the Shodaime Hokage's wife. Just a thought. Also, the pairing will NOT be femSasukexOC. That will one-sided as long as it exists. Also, the parents will be revealed in time. They are not necessarily canon, but do appear in Naruto content. They will be made known shortly, however, so pay close attention to the hints I will be dropping here and there.**

 **Don't forget to check out my other new story, "Winds of Change." Also, if you do check it out, vote for the main pairing on the poll in the forum, "Windy Landing." That's all for now. Until next time!**

 **~Sir Zesto**


	2. Betrayal

**A/N: Here we go, guys! Finally getting into the meat of the story. I haven't mentioned this yet, but my OC will not be getting special abilities. He will not have an extremely power affinity, all five, or an OP kekkei genkai. He isn't even a normal genius. He just works hard for what he gets with a sharp mind, especially for battle. He may actually end up stronger than either of his teammates by Shippuden, but maybe not. Like I said, he is going ot work hard for everything. Hope you guys continue to read! Also, don't forget to vote on "Vault of Konohakgaure" for Kirai's pairing.**

 **Correction: Last chapter, I put training ground seven. However, it should be three as I found out after looking up the memorial stone. Should be changed after this is uploaded.**

 **Disclaimer: Naruto isn't, hasn't, and never will be mine...at least fully. Maybe I can broker a deal with Kishimoto-sensei *giggles excitedly***

* * *

 **Betrayal**

 _*BRRRRRRIINGG!* *BRRRRRRIINGG!* *BRRRRRR—*_

Kirai sedately turned off the alarm clock, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. His warm feet touched the cold, concrete floor. However, he was used to it by now, so he didn't even flinch. A quick glance around reminded him of his new accommodations. He had lived in the orphanage until his graduation a week ago. Now, he lived in the Shinobi Barracks situated in the back of the Hokage Tower. It was free housing for active genin and chūnin who were under the age of 18 and tokubetsu jōnin under the age of 16. He had been able to get a room with a very…spirited genin from the year above him who always left at four in the morning for training with his sensei. Kirai chuckled at the mere remembrance of his new friend.

"Rock Lee…what an interesting shinobi," he muttered, rising to his feet. Quickly moving through his routine, he showered and dressed, brushed his teeth, and tried to somewhat tame the shock of hair atop his head. However, as usual, it was useless, so he abandoned his futile task and slipped on his combat boots. He remembered when he first arrived at the barracks that he had found spares of his entire outfit with three pairs of black Anbu combat boots. He didn't know who would be willing to do such a thing, but he tried his best to take things at face value nowadays. A firm knock on his door drew him from his thoughts. He turned to face the stern-faced overseer of the barracks, Yamashiro Aoba. The shade-wearing tokubetsu jōnin was completely fair towards Kirai but didn't show him special treatment. This pleased Kirai, who was expecting much less.

"Kirai-kun, the armorer is ready to outfit you," he stated, motioning for the young genin to be on his way. Kirai quickly bowed before grabbing his prepacked scrolls and weapons. He quickly grabbed an ornate scroll that hung over his bed and a palette before stuffing them into a satchel. He slung it over his shoulder before sliding past Aoba and making his way towards the armory. He knocked before entering, getting a cheery "Come in!" from the occupant. He deftly opened and closed the door, swiftly entering the room. He stared at possibly the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She smirked provocatively, posing for the young shinobi.

"Like what you see… _Rai-kun_?" she purred, rolling the "R". However, the shinobi remained unflustered as he made his way over to the display rack. Mitarashi Anko was the quirkiest kunoichi in the entire village, but also one of the strongest. He had even heard she consistently beat Anbu when she was serious. She was renowned for her provocative clothing, speech, and attitude towards all male shinobi, whether they were greenhorn genin or veteran jōnin. Kirai glanced at the now pouting kunoichi, smirking at her childish attitude before returning his gaze to the racks of weapons.

"I was thinking about possibly adding a new weapon to my arsenal," he stated quietly, getting an intrigued look from the lavender-haired beauty. He turned to her, motioning to the specialty weapons. "Is there one you would recommend? Also, I need a weapons care kit. Could never afford one during the Academy." Anko winced at the sad tones before brightening up and turning to the multiple instruments of pain, torture, and death. She giggled maniacally, causing the redhead next to her to sweatdrop. _'She enjoys her job way too much,'_ he mentally mumbled. Suddenly, two blades were thrust into his arms. He inspected them curiously, noting their odd shape. He quickly realized that it was a pair of hachiwari. However, there were two distinct design changes. First, as opposed to the usual one-foot length, these blades were nearly four feet long, working more as swords instead of knives. Not only that, but there were hooks on both sides instead of just one.

"These two blades were shipped over from a weapons shop that couldn't sell them," explained Anko, looking at Kirai's face intently to gauge his reaction. "Because of their unique design, people were adverse to buying them." She turned to a small drawer and ripped it open before rummaging around in it for a few moments. She exclaimed triumphantly before tossing Kirai a scroll. He caught it on top of the weapons, sighing in relief when nothing fell. "That is the style created by the forger of the swords. They haven't even been named yet, so I will leave that up to you. That is, if you want them." Kirai gently placed the blades down, examining them. One shimmered like starlight, its pure white blade gleaming brightly. However, the other was a deep black. Unlike most weapons, the metal did not even glint, absorbing light instead of reflecting it.

"Thank you, Mitarashi-san. These are perfect," Kirai affirmed, picking them back up cautiously. He brought them over to Anko, who had retrieved their twin sheathe and a weapons maintenance kit for her customer. She grinned happily before re-sheathing the swords and sealing it all in a scroll. She handed him his item scroll and the style scroll for the two blades.

"So, are you going to become a kenjutsu master, then?" asked the curious tokubetsu jōnin. Kirai shook his head before gaining a faraway look in his eyes. His goal was something much more balanced.

"My mother was known as the Buki Tatsujin no Konohagakure **(A/N: means "Weapons Master/Mistress of the Hidden Leaf Village")** for her skill in all manner of weapons," he began, glancing down at the scrolls in his hands, "She could manipulate them better than her own chakra, and her control was hailed as similar to, if not greater than, Tsunade-sama's." He breathed in deeply before he looked back at Anko with a fire burning in his eyes. "I want to outdo her. She betrayed Konoha, running away with my father and leaving me in Tanzaku Gai for the hunter-nin to find. I've been spat upon by this village, but I will never betray it. They have every right to feel wary of the son of a traitor and the brother of one. After all, in the middle of the Kyūbi attack, my brother left with two other Anbu, wreaking havoc on their way out." Anko's eyes widened at that revalation before smiling softly.

"Everyone knows who my teacher is," she stated, causing Kirai's attention to become fixated on her. She shrugged, rubbing her neck uncomfortably. "He quite literally left his mark on me and abandoned me, leaving me to the hatred of the village. Even today, most of the villagers and some shinobi hate me because of my training. That's it." She smirked determinedly. "However, I worked my way to the top, becoming the best kunoichi I could despite him holding me back. So, I guess we are similar in that aspect." Kirai nodded in agreement as his level of respect for the kunoichi rose to a higher level. Outside the armory, out of seeing and hearing range, Aoba smiled gently.

' _This is the least I could do, sensei,'_ he stated, looking out a window at his beloved village. _'Even though you made some bad choices and got into a horrible situation, I know that you did not hate your son. You wanted him to live a full, good life and become a renowned shinobi. I will make sure that happens.'_ The shinobi walked away, reminiscing on better, simpler times as a genin.

* * *

Training Ground 3

Kirai strode into the designated training ground as he polished off the remainder of his breakfast bar. He slipped his hand into his weapons pouch, assuring himself that there were three more for the rest of his team. Aoba had dropped him a little hint that he had immediately deciphered. Despite not doing well in classwork, he had always been proud of his quick wit and sharp mind. He won most of his taijutsu spars through his improvisation and multiple back-up plans that he could formulate within seconds. Even Shikamaru had been unable to capture the bright youth when he gave it his all.

"Morning, Kirai," mumbled a sleepy Naruto as he entered the training area, Mito close behind him. While the blonde was visibly tired, the Uchiha was alert, despite the slightly disheveled hair that hung to her back. After leaning against one of the wooden posts, she whipped out a brush (who knows where it came from) and began to attack the tangled mess with precision. Naruto merely flopped on to the ground and fell back asleep. Their teammate rolled his eyes, a spark of hurt shining through his façade. He retrieved two bars from his pack, tossing one each to his teammates. While Mito caught hers with a raised eyebrow, Naruto's dinked off his headband, bringing him back to full consciousness.

"Make sure to eat up. We are going to want to be ready for whatever surprises he has cooked up for us," he advised, getting an understanding nod from Mito and a bright smile from Naruto. Kirai smirked before regaining his serious composure. "We need to make a plan. Sensei is probably going to be testing us if anything I have heard at the barracks is true." My two teammates looked at me strangely before Mito smirked haughtily and Naruto chuckled nervously.

"Ehehe… sorry to be so blunt, Kirai, but you aren't exactly…qualified to be leading this team," he stated, causing the youth to frown. He motioned for Naruto continue, ignoring the increasing amount of sweat that was dripping down the rookie's face. "Ya see… you're the dead last." Kirai's face went blank as he realized where this was going. He nodded before turning around and walking into the forest. No one noticed his fists clenching in annoyance. _'I will prepare for him myself. I will have to wait for the right opportunity to team up with either of them.'_

"I thought something like this would happen, you know," sighed a somber voice, startling Kirai from his annoyed musings. He turned his gaze to the branches above his head, attempting to locate the source of the voice. His eyes landed on Kakashi who was leaning against a tree, his visible eye devoid of emotion. He hopped down, landing in front of his potential student. He thrust his hands into his pockets, adopting a lazy, yet alert, posture. "So, you've already figured out what we are going to do. Correct, Kirai-kun?" The genin nodded.

"You were going to test our teamwork," explained the frowning genin. "However, the history of Team 7 is unique. Not a single one has ever managed to stay together except for the first one under Senju Tobirama. This team consisted of Sarutobi Hiruzen, Mitakado Homura, and Utatane Koharu. After that, there was the legendary Sannin: Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya. One is a missing-nin, one's whereabouts are unknown or ignored, and the final one is rarely in the village because of his continent-wide spy network. Orochimaru commandeered the next Team 7, which were blown to bits during a mission accident." Kirai's gaze softened as he continued. "Then, we come to a team led by the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato. His team was the worst of them all. Two students were lost—one during the third war and the other during a rescue mission to save her life. The final one wallows in misery, searching for his new purpose in life." Kakashi inhaled sharply, his composure broken before he drooped.

"And now, for the first time, it seems as though there will be no Team 7, right?" he stated, getting a nod in response. The famous shinobi sighed before ruffling his student's hair. "Look at us. We have a team of social outcasts, all of them geniuses in their own way, led by an elite jōnin who attempts to run away his life's mistakes. What a mess." Kakashi eye-smiled, kneeling down to Kirai's level. "And yet, Rai-kun, I know you three will be great one day, with or without my guidance. Don't worry…everything will work out in the end." He stood up, a thoughtful glint in his eye. "Well, ciao." He disappeared in a thin cloud of smoke, leaving a bewildered Kirai.

* * *

5 hours later…

Kakashi arrived in the training ground, a smile on his face. "Hello, everyone. Sorry, but I got lost on the road of life. I even had to take a detour when a herd of black cats wandered across my path." Naruto shot to his feet but was interrupted by a now-present Kirai.

"It's okay, sensei," he comforted, patting his teacher's arm consolingly. "I have been down that road many a time. It can be quite confusing. And black cats are legitimately worrying, especially a herd. I won't hold against you." His two teammates gaped in astonishment while Kakashi felt tears of joy and pride rolling down his face. He wrapped his student in a one-armed hug.

"I knew you were my favorite, Rai-kun!" he exclaimed loudly, reveling in the kinship he was experiencing. He quickly ended the contact, however, shooing the boy back to his teammates' sides. "Now, for the real reason I called you here…" The silver-haired jōnin took out two silver bells and hooked them on his waistband. "This is your true genin test. You must grab these two bells from me before noon. Whoever does not get one will be tied to the post and sent back to the Academy." He also pulled out an alarm clock, setting it on a rock with three bentōs. "Also, these lunches are for me and the two who get a bell. That's about it." He clapped his hands together cheerily as if remembering something. "Oh, one other thing…come at me with the intent to kill." The atmosphere immediately shifted as Naruto pulled out a red bō staff, Mito adopted a low fighting stance, and Kirai wielded two kamas. Kakashi smiled mirthlessly before nodding approvingly. "Well, then… begin." He disappeared along with his students, beginning the survival test.

* * *

Kirai was sweating as he knelt behind a rock, watching the exchange between his sensei and teammates. First, it had been Mito, but Naruto had quickly joined in. They had both managed to touch the bells but had still been unable to grab one. Now, Kirai was waiting for his chance to assist. He suddenly felt a large amount of chakra. _'Now's my chance!'_ he realized, quickly weaving hand signs. He quickly cast a genjutsu on Kakashi and his teammates. He sped out of his hiding spot as Mito and Kakashi both shot massive fireballs at each other. Kirai slowed his advance as he watched Naruto approach from the other side of the inferno, waiting for Kakashi to be driven back by him.

"Gotcha, sensei!" came the blonde's exuberant cry as he and Kakashi shot into view, his fist planted on the jōnin's crossed arms. Neither seemed to notice a waiting Kirai's hand lash out, snatching the bells from Kakashi's waistband. Kirai smirked and leapt away, landing next to Mito and dispelling the genjutsu, revealing himself.

"I got them, guys!" he crowed triumphantly, getting everyone's immediate attention. Kakashi beamed widely, which was expected. However, his two teammates did not do the expected. Kirai's eyes bulged as he ducked under a fist and rolled away from a stomping foot. "Mito-chan! What the hell are you doing?" The Uchiha smirked, adopting a fighting stance, while Naruto appeared Kirai, his face devoid of emotion. The trapped genin gaped before realization set in. He growled in anger and rage. "Traitors…you don't get the point of the test, do you?!" His cry was ignored as the two began to effortlessly pummel him into the dirt. Kakashi watched emotionlessly, his arms crossed sternly.

"Enjoy the Academy, dead-last," snipped Mito, her fist flying towards the beaten and bruised genin' stomach. However, it suddenly stopped. Mito's eyes widened at the reason for the sudden decrease of momentum: a snake. It hissed at her violently before she felt cold steel at her neck and hot breath on her cheek. She turned her eyes to find Anko smiling at her with a sickly-sweet grin on her face. The genin shuddered before noticing that Naruto had been halted by a large man smoking a cigarette.

"Well, looks like this test is over!" chirped Kakashi as he walked over to a barely standing Kirai, scooping him up onto his back. He waved for his companions to follow him as they made their way back to the stumps. He laid a bleeding Kirai down on the ground, checking him for serious injuries. He sent him an apologetic smile, which was returned with a weak one. Kakashi turned back to his two other students, who were now sitting against the stumps, their captors next to them. "Asuma, Anko, tie them up." Kirai craned his neck at the second name, searching for the chipper kunoichi. She kneeled down next to him after binding up Mito with her snakes. She frowned at his beaten visage before chuckling wryly.

"Rai-kun, you need to learn how to use those swords…fast," she advised bluntly, getting a pained chuckled in response. Kakashi ignored their banter, however, fixing his eye on a grinning Mito and a confused Naruto. In their hands, they both held a bell. He raised an eyebrow before eye-smiling.

"Well, I have my verdict!" he announced, getting everyone's attention. His two untouched genin were smirking expectantly while Kirai was frowning sadly. Anko was too busy checking over Kirai's body and Asuma was focusing on the sky above him. However, they all winced at the steel in Kakashi's voice. "You two should drop out of the shinobi program. There isn't even any sense sending you back to the Academy." He held up his hand to stem any questioning. "I have watched you two since you got here. Kirai not only brought you food, but also offered to give a plan. However, you didn't even listen to it because you thought he wouldn't have any good plans. It is ironic, though. He was the only one who understood the true purpose of the test." He looked down at a waiting Kirai, who was now leaning against a frowning Anko.

"Teamwork," he grunted out as the kunoichi worked on his wounds, medical chakra covering her hands. "Konoha genin operate in four-man cells with a jōnin sensei and three teammates. The stipulations existed for the sole purpose of pitting us against each other." He turned his blank gaze to a shocked Mito and Naruto. "You two ever completed the objective but erased all progress when you attacked me for the bells." Kakashi nodded approvingly before fixing the two bound genin with a harsh glare.

"As shinobi, we need to look underneath the underneath," he stated. "That means we never stop peeling back the layers behind a meaning until he have nothing left to peel." He turned to a black, kunai-shaped monument behind him. "This is the Memorial Stone. It has all of Konoha's true heroes listed here: those killed in action, defending their home and what it stood for." He looked back at his wayward students. "My best friend's name is on here. He told me this just before he died: 'In the ninja world, those who don't follow the rules are trash. But, those who abandon their friends are worse than trash.' I have lived by this saying since that day, protecting Konohagakure from its enemies…both inside and outside of her walls." Asuma picked up from where his reminiscing friend left off.

"You two completely ignored that ideal," he reprimanded bluntly, causing the two to wince. He motioned to a now-sitting Kirai, who was staring at Kakashi in respect. "You attacked your teammate when he was merely trying to help you complete the true objective." He sighed in annoyance before fixing them with a stern gaze. "However, Kakashi is making an exception since Kirai tried so hard. Team 7 will abstain from taking missions for a month, working on their teamwork together. They will also be studying the shinobi arts with tutors during their off-time. Naruto-san will continue training with my father, Mito-san will go with Kakashi, and Kirai-kun will train with Anko." He nodded to Kakashi before blurring away.

"I am going to take him back to the barracks, Kakashi," announced Anko, slinging a protesting Kirai over her shoulder, situating his head above her chest. He was unfazed, however, glaring at her in annoyance. She smirked at the cute expression before saluting Kakashi as she seemed to melt into the ground. Kirai merely raised an eyebrow before he disappeared as well. Kakashi sighed at his friend's antics before turning back to the memorial stone. _'I won't fail him, Obito. He is too much like you, but also like me. He has the worst of both worlds, I guess.'_ Kakashi turned his gaze to another name. _'However, he reminds me of_ him _the most. I wonder what you would think of him… sensei?'_

* * *

 **Well, Team 7 seems even worse off than canon. Mito and Naruto have completely missed the test's point. However, I thought this was always skewed. These kids hate each other or don't really know each other well enough to work together. This situation doesn't force them to bond, but separate. So, instead, they will get second chances in a month. Kakashi will retest them after they do team and solo training. The next three chapters will focus on each individually before we culminate in the final product and move on with the main story.**

 **Don't forget to vote, review, and check out my other stories. Until next time!**

 **~Sir Zesto**


	3. Cultivation Part 1: Naruto

**A/N: Hey, everyone! Welcome to the first of the three training chapters. I started out with Naruto because I already knew what I wanted him to do. My idea for Kirai requires some more research, so he will be saved for last. FYI, Naruto will be getting what seems to be a MAJOR power boost, but it will be balanced out by how the other two train.**

 **Also, the poll for Kirai's pairing is up on the forum for this story, Vault of Konohagakure! Check it out, vote, and leave a suggestion if you want. A list of unacceptable suggestions has also been posted, so refer to that. I put it there so you guys don't send me a suggestion, only to find out I have no notion of adding it. I will post the updated rankings every chapter, so make sure to check the end note for those updates.**

 **On with the show!**

* * *

Dialogue Guide

Normal talking

 _'Thinking'_

 _"Mental talking"_

 **"Bijuu/Summons"**

 **'Bijuu/Summons thinking'**

 _ **"Mental Bijuu/Summons talking"**_

"Jutsu (English Translation)"

* * *

 **Disclaimer: Kishimoto owns Naruto. My work is plebian in comparison to his masterpiece...but I still have some issues with it. Oh well...**

* * *

 **Cultivation Part 1: Naruto**

Uzumaki Naruto was not a fearful individual. He was revered in his class as an unshakable, perseverant youth who would complete anything and everything that he set his mind to. However, he was not fearless. Case in point, the look being given to him by the man in front of him was truly awe-inspiring and frightening. He was reminded once more of why his adoptive grandfather, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was known as the God of Shinobi and was elected as the Sandaime Hokage.

"Naruto-kun, you have greatly disappointed and upset me," scolded the elderly man, his Hokage robes absent. He was wearing a black gi jumpsuit with tan lining over a mesh shirt, his wrinkled physique peeking over the top. However, the aged skin only added to the man's powerful aura. While his body had diminished, his spirit and abilities had not. The village leader continued. "How could you go so far as to _attack_ your teammate? The first lesson I taught you was on the Will of Fire." He stared at the humbled boy before shaking his head. "I know you are a kind boy, but you forgot to dig deeper…look underneath the underneath." The man broke out a wry grin. "Even young Kirai-kun, the supposed dead-last, understood the objective before the two best students. How interesting…" Naruto continued to fall deeper into depression.

"I'm sorry, Hiruzen-jisan," he admitted, his feet shuffling nervously. "I just…I wanted to show far I had come from the idiot that I was. I felt like Mito-chan still looked down on me." Hiruzen nodded in understanding, but Naruto wasn't done. "And then…Kirai came out of nowhere, pulling off that amazing maneuver. It reminded me of the stories you told me about Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo." Naruto looked up, respect in his eyes, surprising the aged Sarutobi. "Kirai's timing was perfect and his plan spot-on. Even Kakashi-sensei was surprised. Neither Mito-chan or I could do a thing." Hiruzen hummed in thought before looking over to a silent Asuma.

"What do you have to say, Asuma-kun? What is your impression of young Kirai-kun?" he questioned, shifting Naruto's attention from him to his adoptive uncle. The bearded man took a deep pull on his death stick before speaking up.

"He obviously knew his limitations," began the jōnin. "His grasp of genjutsu was ingenious and allowed him to sneak past Naruto _and_ Mito flawlessly. Even Kakashi only noticed at the last moment since he was pre-occupied with Naruto." The bear of a man grinned. "He has obviously taken up his inheritance quite well." Hiruzen chuckled while Naruto just stared at his uncle in confusion. Before he could voice his question, Asuma turned his attention to him. "Gaki, I will be frank with you. If that boy had been expecting you two to attack him, you would have had no chance. He is similar to Shikamaru and you both. Shikamaru in the sense that he plans ahead, although not as much. However, he has your battle instincts, allowing him to be far more flexible than Shikamaru ever could be." Hiruzen nodded before coughing to regain Naruto's attention.

"Now, onto your training," he stated, getting a serious look in return. He nodded in satisfaction at the blonde's attitude. "You will be focusing on your taijutsu and bōjutsu with Enma and I. He also wants you to start training with you familiar after you choose him. That will be near the end of your training." The genin nodded before Asuma stepped forward in response to Hiruzen's motioning. "Asuma will be assisting you in your wind affinity and teaching you some fire techniques. If you finish all of that, he has offered to teach you knife fighting." Naruto grinned eagerly at Asuma, who smirked back. Hiruzen smiled softly at the interaction before he nodded with finality. "Alright, Naruto-kun. Be sure to rest up because training is going to be intense." The boy nodded before he bowed to him and Asuma and sped away.

"He will truly become a great shinobi…as long as he doesn't let his power get to his head, that is," commented Asuma, getting a thoughtful hum from Hiruzen. The aged Hokage huffed before pulling out a folder labeled "classified." It was Kirai's expanded file. He looked at the three packets of paper before sighing morosely.

"Kirai-kun is a truly unique individual," he commented, his hand threading through his hair seamlessly. "He is related to two very dangerous missing-nin, one of which is a member of a dangerous rogue group." The Hokage locked eyes with Asuma. "And it was all because of a mistake that I should have righted long ago…Danzō."

* * *

Naruto was deflated. He had betrayed a teammate. Not only that, but he had disappointed two of his precious people and broken the code of the Will of Fire. What was even worse, though, is that Kirai was just like how he used to be. However, the quiet boy had taken it much differently. He didn't seem to care when the other classmates ridiculed him. In all honesty, his apathy tended to discourage a majority of the class from teasing him. He had shown his abilities but had always been outshone because he was paired with Naruto or Kiba all the time.

"Even Iruka-sensei seemed to hate him until yesterday," mumbled the genin as he gripped his gut. "I wonder why people hate him so much? I've never seen anyone looked at with such scorn and dislike. Even I had people like Teuchi-jisan and Ayame-nee when I was growing up. He had no one." Naruto had been in Kirai's situation, and probably would still be if it wasn't for one act. A single act of malice and rage had turned everything around for the prodigious blonde.

 _Ninpō: Flashback no Jutsu!_

 _Naruto churned his little legs as fast as he could. His seven-year-old body could only do so much, however. His pursuer's maniacal giggling and raspy breath grew even closer and louder. Naruto glanced over his shoulder at the drunkard. His headband glinted in the pale moonlight ominously. The shinobi almost never messed with Naruto, and never like this._

" _Come back, akuma! I just want to play!" called the deranged man as he suddenly threw a kunai past the panting boy, nicking his cheek and thudding in the ground in front of him. Naruto's eyes widened as the glinting ninja wire warned him of the attack to come. He yelped in pain as he felt the man's full weight slam into his skinny back, cracking most of his minor bones as he hit the ground. Naruto tried to shuffle away but was pulled back by a piece of ninja wire that was tied around his ankle._

" _Why? Why are you doing this?!" cried the boy as fearful tears flowed from his big blue eyes. His bottom lip quivered as the man ran through a series of hand seals, landing on one that Naruto remembered from class as being very dangerous. He screamed even louder. "Help! Please…someone save me!" The man before him laughed uproariously at the boy's fear._

" _Ahahahaha! You foolish runt! No one would want to save you even if someone was nearby to do so!" he roared, his teeth clenching down on the wire as he held the Tora hand sign. "Burn in hell, Kyūbi!_ _Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu_ _(Fire Release: Dragon Fire Techniques)_ _ **!**_ _" The wire ignited instantaneously as the flames sped towards the frozen Naruto. The blonde cried out one last time before the fire consumed his leg._

 _The boy tensed in preparation of the burning sensation before he realized there was none. He looked at his leg, finding it free of wire and flames. He looked back to the attacking shinobi, only to find his burning wire doused and a ninjatō shoved into his chest. His wide eyes locked on to the dog-masked Anbu that had his blade shoved into the insane chūnin's chest. The man coughed up blood before giving off a death rattle and collapsing into the dirt. The Anbu stared at him before turning his attention to a shivering Naruto. The elite shinobi quickly scooped up the traumatized boy before sprinting off towards the Hokage Tower. Naruto looked up into the decorated mask, tears blurring his vision before he lost his grasp on consciousness, succumbing to the darkness._

 _KAI!_

Naruto winced at the memory, clenching his fists. He had never been so afraid in his entire life than that moment. The Hokage had taken him in after that, training him to be the best shinobi in the Academy, surpassing even Mito-chan and Shikamaru. Naruto smiled gently before he remembered the whole reason behind his thoughts in the first place. He grunted before determining to apologize to Kirai the next time he saw him. _'I will make things right…and I'll figure out why he is just like me.'_

* * *

Next morning...

Naruto shot out of bed, avoiding the furry fist that slammed into his pillow. He whipped around to glare at the large ape that was currently smirking down at him. **"Well, gaki, I hope you are ready for training,** " Enma boomed, staring at his young summoner. **"Your grandfather has informed me of your training schedule. You are going to begin training in our taijutsu style. Come, we have much to do."** The monkey crouched down, allowing the boy to climb on to his back. The blonde gripped the summon's fur tightly, making the ape smirk before he bounded off. Naruto laughed as they zipped through the village, making their way to the top of the Hokage Monument, reveling in the feeling of speed he was currently experiencing. Enma took one final leap, clearing the Nidaime's face, before landing in a hidden grotto. Naruto collapsed on the ground, panting form the adrenaline rush he had experienced.

"I…love doing that," he forced out, greedily gulping in air. He quickly rose to his feet, accepting the uniform held out for him by Enma. He grunted as he almost fell over from the weight. He eyes it warily before putting it on slowly. After he finished, he was handed a pair of blue boots that were also abnormally heavy. He pulled them on after much effort before slowly rising to his feet and looking himself over. He now wore a sleeveless gi over a blue muscle shirt on his torso with matching gi pants stuffed into his boots held up by a blue cloth belt.

"It is the standard trainee uniform for the Sarutobi clan," explained Hiruzen as he stood before Naruto in a long-sleeved black Qipao top and matching pants. His face was blank as he nodded to Enma. "Enma and I will be teaching you the basic stances of Saru no Michi over the next two weeks. This martial art includes hand-to-hand combat, bōjutsu, and a combination of the two. There are five separate styles, of which you will learn at least two, if not all." Naruto nodded in understanding before moving to stand beside Hiruzen, facing Enma. The Monkey King paced back and forth as he explained the taijutsu style.

" **Saru no Michi is considered one of the five oldest taijutsu styles in the world,"** began the summon, adopting a stance. His legs were spread shoulder-width apart, knees bent. The front hand's index and middle fingers were curled in, making a pseudo-fist, while the back was clenched and placed against Enma's side. **"Saru no Michi (Way of the Monkey) and Hebi no Mai (Dance of the Snake) are the basic forms, mainly focusing on strength and speed, respectively. Then, there is Kawazu Kumite (Frog Kata) and Taka Hōshiki (Hawk Form), which are the expanded versions of both. Lastly, there is the great Kitsune-ken (Fox Fist), whose novices are considered deadly and masters considered invincible. These styles are practiced by five of the great summoning clans, of which there are thirteen. Foxes and dragons co-reign as they previously would change hands through fierce summons wars every decade or so. After that, there are the five great elemental clans, each residing in one of the five great nations. The toads reside in Mizu no Kuni, the snakes in Tsuchi no Kuni, the hawks in Kaze no Kuni, the monkeys in Hi no Kuni, and the tigers in Kaminari no Kuni. After that, there are the plebian clans, which are dispersed throughout the world: bears, cats, dogs, bugs, birds, and fish. Many of these clans never have contract summoners, but only give out familiars."** Naruto nodded in understand before he realized something.

"I noticed that the toads and snakes were included, but not the slugs," he commented, getting a proud look from Hiruzen for his observation. "Why is that? After all, even if they were previously a lowly clan, wouldn't their status have elevated when Tsunade of the Sannin obtained their contract?" Enma smirked before shaking his head.

" **Tsunade-hime does not have a clan contract,"** he revealed, creating even more confusion for the blonde boy. **"Katsuyu is the only member of Shikkotsu Woods. She merely has the power of cellular fission, allowing her to break into much smaller slugs. She is, however, just one slug."** Naruto hummed in understanding before resuming his intent listening of Enma's explanation. **"As Saru has already stated, there are five forms. There is Ken (Fist), Ashi (Foot), Setsu (Joint), Ki-ude (Tree Arm), and Kanryō (Completion). Ken focuses on hand strikes, mainly closed-fist attacks. Ashi consists of feet movements, trips, and kicks. Setsu is considered the oddity. It utilizes throws, holds, and locks, but also elbow and knee strikes as well, which are not heavily focused on in the previous two forms. Ki-ude is the Saru Clan's bōjutsu style that is very rigid and strong instead of flowing and flexible. And lastly, Kanryō is exactly what it sounds like. You combine everything you have learned into a single style, incorporating both hand-to-hand combat and bōjutsu. This is one of the most fluid styles in existence, meaning only true masters can utilize it properly."** Naruto nodded before he and Hiruzen turned to face each other.

"We will begin with Ashi and Ki-ude, Naruto," stated the Hokage, adopting the stance that Enma had earlier demonstrated. "This is the Kame (Turtle) stance. It is called that because there are very few, if no, true openings in it when perfected." Naruto nodded before adopting a flawed version of stance. And so far, for the next few hours, Naruto was driven into the ground by the harsh teachings of his grandfather figure and Enma.

* * *

One week later…

Naruto batted away the oncoming staff with his own, using the force to spin and strike at his opponent's ribcage. The target grunted as the hard, wooden tip of the polearm glanced his side, forcing him to jump back. However, Naruto was not one for taking a rest. He leapt into the air and unleashed a furious onslaught of kicks against his opponent, driving them back as they frantically deflected his fierce blows. After a particularly vicious spin hook kick, the blonde continued to spin before leaping in the air, pulling off a dizzyingly fast corkscrew. He gripped his staff like a baseball bat before brining it across horizontally, batting away his opponent's staff. He landed a final kick that sent them flying back into a tree. He quickly followed and jabbed his staff down at their throat, stopping mere centimeters before making actual contact.

"Yield," he commanded with a growl, causing Asuma to sigh from his defeated position. The boy had made unprecedented progress in the two styles he had been learning, even though he was splitting time between personal and team training. He had become proficient in Ashi and Ken (thanks to spamming shadow clones), while coming near to finally mastering Ki-ude.

"You got me, gaki. Nicely done," grunted Asuma as Naruto retracted his staff, allowing Asuma to rise to his feet. He quickly retrieved a cigarette before lighting it and puffing away vigorously to calm his nerves. The young Sarutobi glanced over to his father and Enma. "He was great. I would say his Ashi is low to mid-chūnin without the staff and bordering on tokubetsu with it. His bōjutsu is definitely jōnin-level, seeing as he has been learning it for so long. I would compare his proficiency with to Anko's with snakes." Hiruzen shivered at the mention of the psychotic woman before nodding in agreement.

"Good assessment, Asuma-kun," he noted before turning to a grinning Naruto. He returned the victorious smile with a proud one. "You have surpassed our expectations, Naruto-kun. I was expecting it to take you almost two weeks to get to your current level. Now, I leave the choice up to you. Do you wish to finish learning Saru no Michi, or would you rather refine what you know and move on to learning with Asuma?" The blonde prodigy closed his eyes in thought. He knew this was not only a decision that would affect his skillset and training, but also acted as a judgement test. However, he had found a loophole. His eyes flew open as he grinned foxily.

"I'll do both," he stated, getting a surprised look from Asuma and Enma and a proud one from Hiruzen. "I will create shadow clones to stay here with you and Enma-sensei while Asuma-oji and I work on wind and fire manipulation." Asuma gaped at the genius genin while Enma and Hiruzen chuckled at Naruto's ingenuity. However, they began to grow wary as the foxy grin grew. "Also, I want you to teach me the special summoning techniques at the end of training. In return, I will tell you the secret to how to the Yondaime dealt with the paperwork." Any protests were suddenly forgotten as the man hailed as the Professor threw himself at the genin's feet.

"Yes! YES! Whatever you wish for, I will grant! Please, just tell me the secret!" implored the desperate man as he imagined the paperwork seemingly reproducing whenever he looked away for a moment. "What is it?!" The blonde smirked before looking over his shoulders. He crossed his arms before giving his answer. Hiruzen, Asuma, and Enma gaped, which was quickly followed by the Hokage's cry of anger, agony, and revenge.

* * *

Final week of training...

Naruto had once again blown the three teachers' expectations out of the water. He had eventually mastered all four basic forms of Saru no Michi while gaining quite a bit of ground in Kanryō, currently at the level of an intermediate practitioner. He had won a few times against Hiruzen but remained mostly outmatched due to the older man's greater level of experience, wit, and skill. However, the old man had realized his need for training after barely winning the last few times and had done so over the past few days with a mind to do so going forward. Now that he had conquered the paperwork, he could train to his heart's content.

Not only had Naruto's physical capabilities increased, but he had also completed the first stage of wind manipulation training, which was cutting a leaf perfectly in half. After that, Asuma had given him both basic and advanced techniques to work on. He had gotten all the basic jutsu down to one hand seal and was proficient in the others. His fire manipulation training was going much slower, but they had discovered the reason for that early in the training. The boy apparently had a minor affinity for water that had developed since the last time they had done an affinity test. However, Naruto decided to wait until later on to develop the affinity, focusing on his current skillset. He had persevered, learning three low-level fire techniques and gaining near-mastery of all three. Right now, he was demonstrating them to Hiruzen.

"First up!" announced the excited blonde, whipping through hand seals. "Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique)!" He cupped his hand over his mouth before expelling small flame bullets from his mouth, guiding them towards a boulder that was set up for target practice. The stone began to soften and melt from the continuous heat it was being bombarded with. The boy cut off the flow, smiling at his handiwork. He glanced at his grandfather, getting an approving nod. He returned his gaze to the boulder before making a single Tora hand seal before his lungs expanded. "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)!" A decently-sized fireball hurtled towards the deformed rock, enveloping it. After the flames and smoke dispersed, the rock was revealed to be nearly completely melted.

"Good work, Naruto-kun," praised Hiruzen before making a shadow clone. "Now, use your final technique." The boy nodded before pulling a flint from his pocket and sticking it in his mouth. He went through the hand seal sequence before spewing out a thick cloud of gray ash. As he continued to supply the gritty substance, he worked the flint into position in his teeth.

"Katon: Haisekishō! (Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning)!" he mumbled, clicking the flint to create a spark. The makeshift gunpowder ignited as Naruto cut off the flow of ash, resulting in a fiery explosion that decimated the surrounding earth and the Hokage's shadow clone. Naruto panted, clutching his throat and grimacing at the ash's taste. His voice was raspy from the corrosive substance. "Still need to work on that one, especially the mouth and throat coating." Asuma nodded approvingly before turning to his dad.

"He's got Hien (Flying Swallow) down no problem, so I bought him a practice set of trench knives to work with," explained the grizzled man as Naruto pulled out the jagged blades. They were quickly enveloped in a faint blue aura before it suddenly began to audibly whir. "He still needs to control the whir, but it is far more potent than what I can do normally. We still need to work on his knife fighting mechanics, but he has the most important part of it down pat." The Hokage nodded before turning to a grinning Enma.

" **Well done, gaki,"** praised the monkey as he lumbered forward. **"I think…it is finally time for you to sign the contract and meet your familiar. After that, Hiruzen will continue your training."** He began to focus, pulling forth the necessary chakra before slamming his hand down, creating a huge puff of smoke. Naruto gaped when he saw the brawny figure come out of the smoke.

"No way…" he breathed out in awe, a wide smile working its way on to his face. His eyes became starry as the figure grinned back just as widely. "This is so awesome!"

* * *

 **Alright, explanation time! (MAKE SURE TO READ THIS!)**

 **First, Naruto seems to be learning a lot. I know it may seem like he will easily outpace Mito and Kirai. However, this is not the case. He actually isn't too much different skill-wise in comparison to Mito, but just has shadow clones and great teachers at his disposal. And yes, he gets a summoning contract for the monkeys, but I am going to approach the summoning aspect of shinobi life much more differently.**

 **As you saw, I have established a hierarchy in summoning clans. This is very important for later, but I wanted to get it out of the way now. So, when you have clan, you need to go through trials. This is based off of Boruto's experience in Ryuuchi Cave. That specifically will play into Kirai's chapter quite heavily. Also, if a summoner does not complete the trials, then they are not allowed to sign the contract, but can fight one summons to be their personal summons. This is what happened with Hiruzen and Enma (OC backstory, by the way). So, with Naruto, he had the approval of Enma, allowing him to sign the contract and immediately gain a familiar. Essentially, this allows him access to one member of the clan with the option of gaining access to the entire clan after he completes the trials. This will also unlock the ability to use that clan's senjutsu, which all of the seven "noble" clans have.**

 **Second, Naruto's growth through shadow clones may seem absurd. However, I would like to point out that the only time we see Naruto use this in canon (1) he is genin-level in his understanding of how chakra works, (2) he was doing what takes jounin years of practice to achieve in weeks, and (3) Kakashi wasn't a wind type, so having Asuma would speed the process along quite nicely. Also, I am doing what most fanfic writers do with shadow clones. The user gains experience through FACTUAL and MUSCLE memory. An example of each would be reading a book (factual) and memorizing a kata (muscle). However, physical changes are not carried over. This means no injuries, illnesses, or increase in natural speed, strength, etc.**

 **I hope that all made sense and helped you to understand things better. Don't forget to vote on the poll and leave a suggestion. Until next time!  
**

 **~Sir Zesto**


	4. Cultivation Part 2: Mito

**A/N: Sorry for the late upload! I started working on this Saturday, but Sunday got crazy busy and I had to set it aside until today. Anyways, I will now only be doing monthly updates for each of my stories, meaning I will be doing three updates each month. Make sure to check back each month for a new chapter!**

 **Also, make sure to vote on Kirai's pairing poll. So far, there is only one vote, so I am considering taking it down. Here are the options (votes are in parentheses):**

 **~Hana (1)**

 **~Sasame**

 **~Shizuka**

 **~Fū**

 **~Ameno**

 **As you can see, all my characters have pretty minor roles or aren't seen a lot. If you have any suggestions, just follow the forum link on my profile called "Vault of Konohagakure." Also, if you want your vote to count, make sure it is put into the poll itself, not just a forum post. Those will not be counted in the final tally. Also, the pairing will be locked in before the start of the Shippūden portion of this story, so vote fast. I am also keeping this at a maximum of seven options, meaning there are two open slots. I am open to gender bending as well, seeing as how it is already part of the storyline.**

 **Anyways, with that out of the way, on with the chapter.**

* * *

Dialogue Guide

Normal talking

 _'Thinking'_

 _"Mental talking"_

"Bijuu/Summons"

'Bijuu/Summons thinking'

 _"Mental Bijuu/Summons talking"_

"Jutsu (English Translation)"

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I merely exercise creative liberties for the enjoyment of others.**

* * *

 **Cultivation Part 2: Mito**

Kakashi stared down at his smug pupil. He never understood the pride that the Uchiha had in their abilities. Obito had always been such a relief in comparison to the rest of his clan. However, Mito seemed to perfectly embody the arrogance and smugness of her former clan. Kakashi knew how to deal with Uchiha, though, seeing as he dealt with several throughout his tenure as an elite Anbu agent.

"Mito-chan, you are now under my tutelage," he began before hardening his gaze, causing the last loyal Uchiha to stiffen slightly. "However, I will not tolerate your standard attitude. Throughout my career, I have dealt with Uchiha like you who are arrogant, Uchiha like your brother who are quiet, and Uchiha who are like Naruto." The mention of her clan caused the girl to quietly growl, but Kakashi ignored it as he continued. "You will address me as sensei. You will listen to whatever I tell you to do. And lastly, you will never question my methods or the techniques I will be teaching you. If any of these rules are broken at any point, I will hand you over to the council for breeding." The kunoichi paled before nodding vigorously.

"Yes, sensei," she replied before reassuming her indifferent demeanor. "What will we be starting with…sensei?" Kakashi smiled before he threw her a pair of leg weights. Mito attempted to catch them in the air but was knocked back by the unexpected weight. She struggled to her feet, rolling over so that the metal-laden wraps fell to the ground with a thump. "What in the world? How much do these weigh, sensei?" Kakashi gave her an eye-smile, but instead of feeling reassured, she merely gained a sense of foreboding.

"Oh, they aren't too heavy, are they, Mito-chan?" he said with false concern. "They only weigh one hundred pounds each." The girl gaped at her sensei's nonchalant attitude, but quickly shut her mouth after his next sentence. "After all, there is another genin who regularly trains with weights that weigh at least a thousand each." The last Uchiha clenched her fists, angered at her apparent weakness. Kakashi switched back to his stern gaze from earlier. "You are to where these weights all the time, even when sleeping. I can increase them whenever needed, so if you start feeling comfortable with the weight, I will increase it." The Uchiha grunted before she sat up began to attack the odd-looking contraptions. Once she was finished, she slowly rose to her feet, barely keeping her balance in light of the added weight.

"Sensei…how am I going to make sure they don't show?" she asked, getting a thoughtful hum out of the jōnin sensei. He looked her up and down for a moment, taking in her tomboyish appearance. She really hadn't changed her attire once it was discovered that she was a boy. She had merely gotten more form-fitting shirts and shorter shorts. It was time for an upgrade, but Kakashi had no idea what do get her.

"I'll ask a friend of mine if she can help you with that," he offered, getting a slight nod from the grateful kunoichi. He raised a finger in realization. "She could also help you develop your genjutsu. After all, it was one of the areas that your clan was infamous for. Well, that and the Sharingan of course, but that's neither here or there." The girl grunted in acknowledgement, bringing Kakashi back into focus. He struck a dramatic pose, causing his student to sweatdrop. "Now, we begin! Give me five laps around Konoha!" Kakashi reveled in his student's bug-eyes and unhinged jaw. Messing with the Uchiha had always been a beloved pastime of his. "Hurry now! If you don't finish before the sun sets, I'll have you doing them until midnight." The girl quickly sped off…before tripping and falling flat on her beautiful face. Her sensei had no sympathy anywhere his body, though, so he merely whipped out an orange book that Mito knew all too well. "Good luck, Mito-chan! I will meet you at the gate once you have finished your laps." Before the girl could ask him how he would know, he disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

"Damn perverted sensei," she grumbled, hobbling off towards the outskirts. "First it was Iruka and now Kakashi. The only difference is that one does it in a closet while the other giggles while doing it openly." All other thoughts left Mito's mind as she focused on her exercises. But, she quickly found that walking was not going to work. So, instead, she attempted running…which worked surprisingly well. She quickly took off at a moderate pace. As she neared the main gate, she considered using chakra enhancement to her limbs, but quickly dismissed it. Her sadistic sensei would probably find out she did and devise some way to make her life miserable. So, she sucked it up and sped out of Konoha, unaware of the single eye that watched her every movement approvingly.

* * *

One week later…

Mito collapsed in front of the gate, heaving in deep breaths. She had barely finished the exercise in time, but she had done it once again. A sense of pride welled up inside her at the accomplishment. She slowly stumbled towards the gates, where she saw her sensei reading his book patiently, a giggle escaping every now and then. Kakashi had been giving her these hellish exercises for a full week, upping her weight every single day and sometimes even during exercises. It had begun weighing on the young kunoichi as she had learned no new techniques or jutsu. It was just pure, hellish, physical exercise. There were two others with him, both kunoichi.

The first was a stunning ravenette with piercing red eyes that were attempting to light Kakashi's book on fire. She wore wide bandages with rose thorn patterns that covered some kind of mesh armor. A single red sleeve was visible, covering her right arm. She didn't wear anything on her lower body except for bandages which came to her mid-thigh. Mito recognized this woman as one of the other jōnin sensei, Yūhi Kurenai. She turned her gaze to the other figure.

This one was obviously an Anbu. The elite agent seemed to be female, if the slight curves and long hair were anything to go by. She wore a tiger mask with markings similar to the Nidaime Hokage, except that instead of the vertical line going up, it was flipped, starting from the top and going downwards. A katana rested against her back comfortably, signifying her proficiency in kenjutsu. Besides that, she wore the standard Anbu apparel, making her far less noticeable than Kurenai. _'I wonder why sensei has two here? Will they both teach me?'_ She smirked at that as she finally arrived at the gates, gaining the attention of the three adults.

"Ah, Mito-chan! Well done!" praised Kakashi, his eye upturned happily as he stowed his book, much to the relief and happiness of Kurenai. The silver-haired man motioned to the two kunoichi standing next to him. "These two will not only be helping you with your wardrobe, but also with your training as well. Kurenai here is renowned throughout the Elemental Nations as a master of genjutsu. She will be teaching the basics and some low-level illusions." The Uchiha turned to the jōnin and inclined her head respectfully, getting a soft smile from the stunning woman. "And next to her is Anbu captain, Tora. She will be giving you lessons in basic fūinjutsu and kenjutsu to see if either interest you, as well as working on stealth." Mito nodded in understanding, staring at the mask in hopes of getting some sort of reaction, but to no avail.

"Well, Mito-chan, would you like to pick out your outfit now or later?" Kurenai asked kindly, sending Kakashi a reprimanding glare that was ignored by the masked jōnin. "Your sensei has run you into the ground, so I know you must be tired." The Uchiha nodded tiredly, prompting the Anbu to heft the genin onto her back, ignoring the indignant squawk from her new rider. "Tora-san and I will take you back to my apartment to get washed up first, but we'll go to the clothing store afterwards." Mito's answer went unheard as the three kunoichi blurred away, leaving a giggling Kakashi to his perverted thoughts.

* * *

Mito sighed in annoyance. Everything had been going perfectly up until she stepped inside that clothing store. Upon doing so, she met the two previous banes of her existence during her tenure as Sasuke—Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino. The girls had instantly taken her from Kurenai and Tora to help her figure out her new style. However, they hadn't even asked once what style Mito wanted, choosing to instead dump piles upon piles of varying outfits into her changing room.

"Mito-chan! Forehead and I just realized that we never asked what you wanted!" Ino called out, causing a wave of relief to wash over the weary Uchiha. "Put your old outfit on and come on out!" Mito did just that, joining her fellow females. While the two asked her questions, she took that time to appraise Sakura. The pinkette had been drafted out of the Academy by the medical corps, so she had left a few months after Mito's true gender had been revealed. She now seemed much more confident in herself and her image, along with much less volume and shrieking when she spoke, which was the most relieving part of her makeover.

"Kirai-baka?" gasped Ino, causing Mito to whip her head around towards the blonde. Sure enough, Kirai was standing there, staring at the trio of kunoichi in shock. Everything about him had changed drastically. His hair was now spiked vertically, causing him to look even taller than he already was. His revealing training top had been switched out for an odd chest plate. The high shoulders and dark colors only served to enhance the boy's intimidating nature. His hands were covered by a pair of armored shinobi gloves and his feet by a pair of weird slippers.

"Furyō-kun, what's up with the shoes?" asked Mito before sneering in disgust at the last piece of the boy's apparel. "And the shorts?" The orange-haired genin frowned before glancing down at his purple gi shorts and footwear. He crossed his arms, causing his defined muscles to noticeably bulge, causing Sakura and Ino to blush. The blonde was licking her lips as naughty thoughts flew through her pre-teen mind.

"This is my training uniform, Uchiha-san," replied Kirai coldly. "The shoes are from a snake I killed. Maybe one day, I'll tell you the whole story. Right now, I just need to get some new clothes. Good day, Uchiha-san, Haruno-san, Ino-chan." He stiffened at his slip-up before quickly walking away. Sakura gaped before turning to a smiling Ino. Mito, however, had no sense of focus. _'Kirai…didn't call me Mito-chan. What happened to him?'_ The boy's demeanor had been much more confident and calmer. Before, he had always had a shier air about him. Now, he was being formal and polite. Mito shook her head. _'No, that's not it. It's almost as if…he is ignoring me now.'_ Her thoughts screeched to a halt as a dress was shoved into her face by an exasperated Kurenai.

"Those girls aren't getting anywhere," she sighed, motioning to the dressing room. "Try that on, Mito-chan." The Uchiha studied the battle dress closely. It was a dark blue in color with blood red trim. It seemed to stop mid-thigh and had bicep-length sleeves, keeping it modest enough while allowing freedom of movement. She picked up a pair of heeled Anbu boots that Tora had gotten her and sped into the changing area, swiftly undressing and putting on the new outfit. She strutted out, posing for the approving kunoichi.

"Perfect, Mito-chan!" praised Sakura, holding up several of the same outfit in a variety of dark colors. "We got these as well. Kurenai-sensei also got some bandages for your arms and thighs like her." The Uchiha gave a small, satisfied smile before grunting in agreement, making her way back and throwing on her old clothes. She made her way to the register, adding the first dress to her small stack of items. Once it was all paid, she walked out to find Kakashi waiting for her.

"Ah, Mito-chan! Perfect timing," he stated, giving her an appraising look before eye-smiling. "I like the look. However, I have found something I think you will find quite interesting. It is an old Uchiha scroll that was in the jōnin portion of the library." Mito's eyes widened before she nodded enthusiastically. She bade goodbye to her friends and sensei before following the masked shinobi back to their allotted training ground. Once there, he pulled an ornate scroll with a faded red-and-white fan stamped on it. "This…is the Uchiha summoning scroll. There were once many summons under their control, but several have been lost over the years due to breaking of contract ties. Now, just the tiger, hawk, and crow contracts remain in your clan's possession." The girl's eyes had stayed wide the entire time before the last clan was name, causing her to growl in recognition.

"Itachi signed that one," she gritted out, getting an affirming nod from her sensei. She looked up at him. "What are the differences between the two? How would I benefit?" The cycolpian shinobi hummed in thought before he pulled out a small slip of paper that Mito recognized as chakra paper. He handed it to her, giving her a "go ahead" motion. She grasped it between two of her fingers before channeling her chakra into it. After a few moments, it crinkled before igniting. Kakashi's eyebrow shot up into his hairline in surprise.

"Well, well, Mito-chan. It seems that you have both a fire and lightning affinity," he realized, getting a smug grin from the Uchiha. "The lightning is probably your natural affinity while the fire comes from continued training in that element." He clapped his hands together before pointing to the scroll. Three sections headed by the kanji "taka," "tora," and "karasu" were spread out, separated by thick lines. Fingerprints were within each, names scribbled above in blood. "We have already eliminated the crow contract, so that leaves you with either tigers or hawks. I would suggest tigers because of your elemental affinity. They originate from Kaminari no Kuni, so they have a natural specialization in lightning chakra." The Uchiha nodded before she looked to her sensei for instructions. The masked jōnin smirked beneath his mask before pointing to an empty slot under the "tora" kanji. "Just bite your finger to draw blood, sign your name, and then spread it over all five of your fingers before pressing them down to leave your prints." Mito nodded before following the process speedily. She stepped back admiring her handiwork before she turned back to Kakashi.

"What are the hand seals, sensei?" she asked, getting a deadpan look in response before he pointed to the beginning of the scroll, which Mito began to read out loud. "It says, 'Bite you thumb and complete the following seal sequence before ending in the seal for the contract your are signing. If you are signing the crow contract, do a reverse Tori instead of a standard Tori.'" The Uchiha blushed at her lapse of observational skills before she quickly sped through the hand seals, ending on Tora. She raised her hand in the air with a cry before slamming it onto the ground "Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!" A large plume of smoke filled the area, causing Kakashi to shield his uncovered eye. However, when the cloud dispersed, both genin and jōnin gaped wide-eyes at the regal figure before them. "Beautiful," complimented Mito, getting a satisfied growl in response before the ground shook as a massive paw hit the ground.

* * *

 **I know that Sasuke had a hawk summons in Shipp** **ūden, but it always seemed so unnecessary to me. I had considered giving Mito the dog or wolf contract, but (1) I wanted her to have a "royal" summons like the other two will have and (2) the Uchiha already have a connection to cats as seen in the anime. And yes, that is canon. I say that because Kiba ends up with Tamaki,** **Nekobaa's granddaughter,** **as his lover. So, there's my argument. Hope it makes sense to you guys. Also, the reason I am not revealing the familiars of Mito and Naruto is because they are cameos. I enjoy doing cameos and these two clans provided a great opportunity to do so. However, if you guys can guess them, I will automatically assign your choice in the pairing poll seven extra votes. So, get your Sherlock hats on and get sleuthing.**

 **Until next time!**

 **~Sir Zesto**


	5. Cultivation Part 3: Kirai

**A/N: Sorry for the missed update! I was gone for President's Day weekend and then** **got sick. However, this is a longer chapter than usual, so I hope that appeases you. It may become the standard length, but I haven't decided yet. Anyways, we finishing up the mini-arc here before moving into Team 7's escapades. I will not be showcasing all of the genin's abilities at once, but Naruto will be much different than canon, obviously. Mito will just be closer to Sasuke's level of power and skill at the Ch** **ūnin Exams. They will both be stronger than Kirai, but less balanced. Mito will focus on speed, Naruto on power, and Kirai will be sort of a balanced support-nin.**

 **The poll for Kirai's pairing is coming along nicely. We actually have someone else in the lead now. Also, a shout-out to TheDarkWolfe for his review and vote. I just used my own vote for him, but I actually did her anyways because she is a side character. Here are standings as of 3/9/2019:**

 **~Shizuka: 3**

 **F** **ū: 2**

 **~Ameno: 1**

 **~Hana: 1**

 **~Sasame: 0**

 **I was pleasantly shocked to see Shizuka make it to the top spot. Still, it isn't over yet, so make sure to place your votes. I won't be developing it very much until _during_ the time-skip, but it will affect the story (e.g. F** **ū isn't captured by Akatsuki and lives). I am also willing to accept suggestions for someone to replace Sasame. Leave it on the forum or in a review, but make sure to consult the list I have posted/will post in this story's forum, _Vault of Konohagakure._ Also, as a side note, I know that some stories treat the Tailed Beasts as actual demons or animals, but that is non-canon. I will be going with the canon explanation of them being created by Hagoromo as pure chakra constructs. With all that aside, on with the chapter!**

* * *

Dialogue Guide

"Human talking"

 _'Human thinking'_

 _"Mental human communication"_

 **"Bijuu/Summons talking"**

 **'Bijuu/Summons thinking'**

 ** _"Mental Bijuu/Summons communication"_**

"Jutsu (English Translation)"

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I just do this for fun, and you guys like it. So, I keep doing it.

* * *

 **Cultivation Part 3: Kirai**

It had taken a day in the hospital for me to be ready, but I was finally getting training. The downside, though, was that I was going to be trained by Anko. As I had been leaving the hospital, some of the other shinobi had been throwing jeering comments towards me, trying to discourage me. One of them had said that Anko was a sadist and would kill me for sure. I didn't listen, however, and was now regretting it.

"Welcome to Training Ground 44, AKA…the Forest of Death," Anko cheerily noted, gazing at the natural death trap fondly. She turned her maniacal gaze back to me. "If you are going to train under me, Kirai-kun, you must survive for a full week in there. You are only allowed to take whatever you have on you. Your mission is to get to the tower in the center of the training ground between the fifth and seventh days." I nodded in understanding as sweat began to drip down my face. Faint roars and beastly cries emanated from the fenced-off training ground, causing a lump to form in my throat. "If you do survive, we will be going outside of the village for your training to a special place." Her tone had gradually changed into a grave one, causing my attention to focus on her completely.

"Why do I get the feeling that this is a life-or-death situation?" I stated dryly, my humor quickly dissipating at the lack of a response from my teacher, outside of her already severe frown deepening. I shrugged helplessly before walking up to the gate and entering a ready position. "Whenever you are ready, Anko-sensei." The jōnin nodded before she pressed a button, causing the gate to automatically swing open. Kirai leaped off, only to turn around when his instructor shouted at him. He deftly caught the incoming scroll, glancing at Anko in confusion.

"You also have to learn everything in that scroll! Good luck! You're gonna need it!" warned the odd kunoichi as the gates slammed shut and she disappeared. The genin merely shrugged before he pocketed the scroll and pulled out one of his hachiwari. He hadn't named them yet but hoped to have ideas by the end of the month. The forest had gone silent, which was not a good sign. My plan was to find a safe area, create a temporary campsite, and start working on the techniques he had been learning and the three in the scroll. With that in mind, I sped into the forest, preparing myself for whatever would come.

* * *

I growled as I ripped my blade out of the last giant spider. The caliber of beasts in here was crazy. So far, I had to deal with three wolves' dens, ten wasp and beehives, and five spider nests. It was insanity. On the bright side, I had named my first blade. I called it Sasu (sting) after wiping out the bee and wasp hives. I had also lopped off the occasional scorpion tail with it as well when they tried to ambush me so that even furthered the name's validity.

"Darn arachnids," I muttered venomously. "Why can't they just find their own prey? I had a nice bag of wolf steaks, but NOOOOO! I just had to find another one of the nests…on the ground, no less!" I had quickly discovered that there several varieties of spiders throughout the forest. Thankfully, I had not encountered any wolves or funnel spiders yet. However, I did have to fend off a huntsman spider. That was a pain. One of its legs had pierced my shoulder clean through, spearing me into a tree trunk. I barely managed to place a genjutsu on it before sneaking up from behind and stabbing it through the top of the head. I shook away my thoughts before turning my gaze into the trees. Branches linked together, forming a near-solid floor. _'Well, it's better than nothing, I guess,'_ I thought. Before I could start making my way up there, however, I heard the most bone-chilling sound ever.

 _ **HSSS!**_

I whipped around to find what seemed to be a hydra glaring down at me with three pairs of eyes. This was just great. There was no way for me to escape into the trees fast enough and I didn't have enough firepower to deal with this thing. I groaned before creating the ram seal. _' Magen: Kokoni Arazu no Jutsu (Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique)!'_ I had learned that, once I reached a certain level with a technique, I didn't have to shout out its name. However, that necessitated using a hand seal to focus my chakra. I was trying to bring my jutsu up to a level where it would not be necessary to use the hand seal but wasn't quite there yet. Back to the fight, I switched places with a nearby log, leaving the snake to fight an illusionary version of myself. However, my hopes were quickly dashed as one of the secondary heads bit the main one, causing the illusion to break.

"Of course it would know how to dispel genjutsu," I cursed under my breath as the massive beast turned towards me, its tongues flicking out menacingly. As it coiled, I shot into the air, barely dodging the first head's attempt to eat me whole. However, the other two quickly followed up. I was quickly gulped down, barely keeping myself from falling into the digestive juices by stabbing both of my swords into the lining of the stomach. "Well, this is just great. I have no idea how to get out of this one. If only I had an explosive tag…Oh, wait. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)!" Several solid copies of myself began to fill the reptile's esophagus slowly causing it to expand. For good measure, they began stabbing the reptile's innards with our blades, causing multiple puncture wounds to appear. They slowly clawed their way up before one clone began shouting earnestly.

"I found the heart!" he said as he began to cut out a chunk of the flesh. Suddenly, I was thrown against the wall of the esophagus as the hydra began spasming from the pain. The one clone, who I now named Hakuchi (idiocy), continued to ram the blade through the wall before finally breaking through. He yelled victoriously before he thrust one final time, causing every single one of the clones to be thrown towards the stomach as the beast enter its death throes. I barely held onto my own blades as bodies continually slammed against me before falling to their deaths. I winced as the feeling of the acid eating away at my skin was transferred to me. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the hydra ceased its movements with a death rattle. I quickly sliced a hole large enough for me to escape from and exited the dead beast. I breathed in the cool air before gagging as I smelt the snake goop that was covering me.

"Bath day already, huh?" I murmured before begrudgingly making my way towards a stream I had passed a little while ago. I quickly dunked myself in to rid my clothes of the juices before stripping and cleansing myself to the best of my ability. Satisfied, I threw on my undergarments before returning to the former spider nest. I replaced myself with a kunai I had tossed up there before sighing contentedly. I grabbed some of the leaves before pulling out a scroll. I unsealed the rocks and wood I had been gathering before quickly creating a makeshift fire pit. I nodded before making the tiger seal. "Katon: Hakka-Gu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Fire Starter Jutsu)," I muttered before spitting up a small ember that instantly lit my small pile of timber. I began to add more leaves as the blaze grew before placing my clothes nearby to dry from the warmth. After I had set up camp, I pulled out the scroll from earlier and began to scan its contents.

 _Dear Gaki-kun,_

 _If you are reading this, you haven't died yet. Congrats! However, I would highly recommend learning these skills as soon as possible. Not only will they expand your repertoire and help your chakra control, but life in the forest will become much easier because of them._

 _I would recommend mastering the Ki Nobori no Shugyō (Tree Climbing Practice) before learning the techniques in the following order: Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique), Meisaigakure no Jutsu (Hiding with Camouflage Technique), and Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique). Once you have finished those, complete the Suimen Hokō no Gyō (Water Surface Walking Practice). Good luck!_

 _Love,_

 _Anko_

I snorted at the note, smiling at the chibi Anko giving a massive smile and a peace sign before moving on down to the technique descriptions. The two charka control exercises were extremely practical, and I understood why she wanted me to learn tree climbing first. However, it was starting to get dark out, so I would have to wait until tomorrow to work on my techniques. After my clothes finished drying, I threw them back on and began to feed the fire. After it had grown to a sufficient size, I set aside some more timber for feeding in the middle of the night. With everything prepared, I curled up in a nook in one of the branches before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

One week later… (3rd Person POV)

Anko smirked at her student, clearly impressed. Not only had he made it through the week alive, but he also seemed to have gotten much stronger. When he first came into view on the fifth day, the jōnin was shocked at the state of his clothes and the various injuries all over his body. She had briefly confronted him about it, discovering that the shop owners had never sold to him. He had actually relieved that one set of clothes from a trash bin before making sure to wash them every day at the barracks. This greatly angered the sadistic kunoichi, who filed it away to discuss with the Hokage later on.

"Well done, gaki," praised the violette as she crossed her arms underneath her impressive bust. Kirai merely continued to stare tiredly at her. "I watched you during your two days of training in the clearing. You have become quite proficient in tree climbing and also in the three techniques I gave you, especially the shuriken variant of the Kage Bunshin technique." The woman nodded approvingly before enveloping Kirai in a smothering hug, deliberately shoving his head between her ample bosom. "I'm so proud, Rai-kun!" The boy blushed lightly at the intimate contact before Anko released him, a victorious grin on her face.

"Thank you, Anko-sensei," acknowledged the grateful genin with a bow. He straightened up quickly, lightly wincing at the movement. "However, would you mind if I healed up at the hospital first before continuing on with the training?" The jōnin got serious at the mention of more training before motioning the boy to follow her inside. As they made their way through the dark tunnels of the tower, Kirai pondered his teacher's sudden change in attitude. _'Come to think of it, she acted like that before she sent me into the forest. Wonder why?'_ he thought before they arrived at a thick oak door. Anko rapped on it a few times before entering.

"Ah…Anko-chan, Kirai-kun. Please take a seat," greeted a gravelly voice. A large, circular table sat in the center of the room. Around it sat five individuals. At the head, the Sandaime Hokage puffed away at his pipe, his normally kind eyes steely and grave. This was the God of Shinobi, not the grandfatherly Professor. Shivering slightly, Kirai turned his gaze to the two right next to the Hokage. They were both around his age and wore similar looks of gravity. Kirai recognized them as two of his heroes: the She-Devil, Utatane Koharu, and her partner, Mitokado Homura, the Dark Angel. And next to them, respectively, sat the Jōnin Commander, Nara Shikaku, and the Anbu commander, Ōkami. There was a total of twelve other Anbu in the room, all captains. Kirai gulped as the gravity of the situation hit him, slowly sitting down next to his teacher.

"Miko Kirai, your teacher has offered to give you a once-in-a-lifetime training opportunity," began Homura, his eyes blank behind his spectacles. "Mitarashi-san has offered to bring you to the home of her summons, the Hebi Clan." Kirai's eyes widened before shifting over to his teacher. "I see you understand the honor given to you. However, there are two important points to note." Here, Homura stopped as Koharu unrolled a scroll and picked up where her teammate left off.

"First, the Hebi Clan no longer allows Mitarashi-san full usage of their contract per the order of the main holder of the contract, Orochimaru," revealed the elder, causing Kirai's eyes to narrow at the slight to his instructor. "Therefore, you will need to exercise caution. You will be required to complete a set of three trials. Due to the previous holders having a different base skillset than your own, they will most likely be very different. Mitarashi-san, for example, had to break three powerful genjutsu laid down by the Three Snake Princesses." Her closed eyes cracked open to regard the genin more closely. "However, you will more than likely engage in some form of a physical test due to your heritage and how it has bestowed you with similar giftings in genjutsu." The boy nodded as that all made sense. At this point, the Anbu Commander rose out of his chair and slowly made his way towards Kirai, dropping a scroll in his lap. The boy slowly grabbed it but did not open it. He instead looked over at Shikaku as he began to speak.

"As troublesome as it is, you are being given a mission, which is the second point," stated the lazy shinobi, his tired eyes glinting dangerously. "Genin Miko, you are tasked with the S-Ranked assignment of infiltrating Ryūchi Cave, obtaining the summoning contract, and creating a permanent bond between the clan and Konohagakure, similar to that of the toads. This will accomplish two tasks. It will not only restore Tokubetsu Jōnin Mitarashi's ability to use the full contract but also force the clan to break ties with the rogue member of the Sannin, Orochimaru, thereby weakening him significantly." He sighed, rubbing his neck irritably. "However, we do recognize the gravity and difficulty of the third part of the assignment, meaning we are giving you until the upcoming Chūnin Exams to complete it. This means, for the rest of your training, you will be in the summons' domain, learning senjutsu and progressing towards your goal." Kirai was stunned. He was being offered so much, including the prestige of an S-Rank mission, but it had such high ramifications.

"Because of the difficulty of this assignment, we are leaving it open to you to refuse this mission, whether partially or in its entirety," revealed the Hokage as he continued to passively puff away on his pipe. He breathed out sharply, sending a cloud of tobacco smoke into the already stuffy room. "Now that you have been given the details, what have you decided, genin?" Kirai sat silently in his chair, pondering the offer given to him. If he was honest with himself, he did not want to accept anything outside of the training. At the same time, however, he realized the underlying point of the mission. It would cause his reputation and prestige in the village to skyrocket. _'If I complete this, no one will ever look at me the same way again,'_ he realized, cementing the answer in his mind. He looked up, a fire blazing in his icy eyes.

"I agree to the assignment, Hokage-sama, honorable elders, Nara-dono," he affirmed, bowing low at the waist. "Thank you for the opportunity to not only build my skills and reputation, but also the reputation of Konoha." He stayed like that before he heard five sets of chuckles. He looked up to find the four and his teacher laughing in amusement and…pride?

"You were right, Hiruzen, Anko-chan," praised Koharu as she slowly rose to her feet with Shikaku and Homura. "He is just like his mother…special." Kirai's eyes widened before the woman continued. "If you complete this assignment, child, Anko-chan has agreed to allow Homura and I to train you as well." The boy audibly gasped at the statement before he flopped into the seat, everything finally catching up to him. Everyone sobered up and the retired kunoichi nodded with finality before smiling at Anko. "Well done, Anko-chan. You have found yourself a good student. Come, Homura, Hiruzen, Kaku-kun." The Jōnin Commander groaned at the nickname but complied as the four leaders blurred away in shunshins.

"Genin," addressed Ōkami for the first time, startling the thoughtful Kirai. "You will leave at once. Read the mission scroll while my operative heals you. Another has already prepared all of the supplies and tools you will need, including several reverse summoning seals. If the assignment ever shows signs of going awry, extract yourself immediately. This mission is extremely delicate, especially for someone with no prior mission experience such as yourself." Kirai nodded in understanding, causing the commander to nod before doing the same to Anko and teleporting away with ten of the captains, leaving the remaining Anbu, Anko, and Kirai to prepare the upcoming mission.

* * *

Kirai adjusted the pack and made sure everything was secured for the fifth time before nodding to Anko and the remaining Anbu captain, Tori. Tori hummed before placing a hand on the genin's shoulder. "We will be teleporting right to the entrance, Kirai-san," he informed. "Anko-san will give you last-minute advice before we leave. After a week, we will return for you with the captain for an update and further instructions. However, please realize that time in summoning realms is often skewed in comparison to the outside world. Please make sure to adjust your timing accordingly." The boy nodded at the suggestion before the three shinobi blurred away, leaving the tower in silence. However, the Anbu and Anko both noticed a rat explode into an ink splotch. They had both realized the significance and severity of the action, which they would need to report to their Hokage.

* * *

Kirai stared at the small opening in the earth that was just large enough for him to crawl through. According to Anko, this was the entrance to Ryūchidō, which could only be found when actively looking for it. He continued to stare at it, wondering if he really had made the right choice. He heard shuffling behind him, causing him to turn his head to find three beautiful women. They looked very regal, almost like the princesses of old. _'Well, I definitely know that I'm at the right place,'_ he deadpanned mentally. He decided to mess with them a little bit. He bowed low at the waist, surprising the disguised snakes.

"Greetings, Ichikishimahime-dono, Tagorihime-dono, Tagitsuhime-dono," he hailed politely before straightening up, silently reveling in the horrified and shocked expressions of his "hosts." However, the middle one, which he remembered as being Tagitsuhime-dono, giggled before walking up to him and stroking his cheek. She closed her eyes, feeling out the genin's chakra reserves.

"You have come for senjutsu training then. Unfortunately, we will be unable to test you," she said in legitimate disappointment before she brightened up. "However, my sisters and I can train you in genjutsu after you complete the trials. You obviously have a high aptitude for the art." The boy blushed under the praise before he quickly regained his composure. The transformed woman giggled again before she and her sisters began walking toward the entrance. "By the way, 'hime' is not actually part of our names. We are the grandchildren of the clan leader, meaning that we are actual princesses." Kirai hummed in understanding before he followed them to the mouth of the underground cave.

"When you enter, you will immediately go to the lair of our grandmother, the Hakuja Sennin," informed Ichikishima lightly, motioning towards the cave opening. "You will then engage in three to-the-death battles. You can choose the order and combatants. After that, you are to choose one of the snakes as your personal summons." Kirai nodded in understanding before he took a deep breath and dove through the small gap, falling downwards. He quickly righted himself and held his arms out to slow the fall. He looked up to find the three princesses quickly following him, causing him to immediately snap his attention down with a heavy blush.

"Of course…since they are snakes, they don't have any underwear," he mused as a sliver of torchlight became visible beneath him, slowly growing brighter and brighter. He sent chakra into his legs and pulled his arms to his sides, allowing him to speed up his fall and land safely at the same time. He straightened up before widening his eyes. Before him, there sat five massive snakes staring at him hungrily. One of them towered above the rest, his purple skin shining in the torchlight dully. This was Manda, the snake summons known across the Elemental Nations as the Strongest Colossal Serpent. Kirai gulped before moving his eyes across each snake, his anxiety gradually increasing before it vanished as he laid eyes on a specific one. He began to walk closer to the serpent, catching its attention.

 **"Do you not fear me, child?"** asked the reptile in a deep, gentle voice. The snake's skin was several shades of amber that increased in darkness from the head to the tip of the tail. Its eyes shone a brilliant blood red underneath a set of black eye ridges. The serpent lowered its head down to Kirai's level, flicking its tongue out harmlessly to tickle the boy's skin, causing the genin to snort as he held back his laughter. The snake inwardly grinned before rising to his full height. " **My name is Kohaku, leader of the Dokukiba (" Poison Fang") family, son of the Hakuja Sennin."** Kirai smiled at the introduction before pointing to Kohaku.

"I won't fight you because I want you as my familiar. I will fight the other three besides Manda," he announced, causing the head serpent to grin approvingly. This child was not yet capable of defeating him. Even Orochimaru in his prime could not fight him at full strength. Of course, both had grown weaker in their age, but Manda was still superior if their last spar was anything to go by.

 **"Well said, gaki!"** he applauded, turning his head to the shadows. **"What say you, Hakuja-baa?"** The hopeful summoner whipped around to find a humongous white snake that dwarfed even Manda staring at him with blank eyes. A gray turban with a red gem adorning the center sat atop the ancient reptile's scaly head. Long orange tresses flowed down the back, giving the illusion of the sage having actual hair.

 **"Ahh…a new summoner? Very good,"** she crowed, slowly uncoiling. She slithered towards the awed genin, a smile creeping over her aged features. She flicked her tongue out before humming in thought, her snout coming to rest directly in front of the redhead. **"You have Anko-chan's scent on you, child. You are from Konoha, then?"** Kirai nodded before kneeling before the snake ruler.

"Hakuja-sama, I humbly request the ability to take the trials required for learning senjutsu," he announced, causing the serpents to begin murmuring. He raised his head, his eyes set in determination. "However, I have a request. If I pass the trials and complete my training here, I request that the Hebi Clan sever its contract with Orochimaru of the Sannin, return full usage of the contract to Mitarashi Anko, whose power has been greatly diminished because of both the loss of it and the sealing of her powers by her teacher, and also pledge allegiance to Konohagakure." At this, Manda rushed towards the genin, towering over him ominously.

 **"You wish for us to break the contract?"** he boomed. **"That would require you to offer us something in return that Orochimaru cannot. I, for one, am against this notion at the current time due to your lack of power and skill."** Kirai's fists clenched before the serpent continued. **"However, if you can not only complete clan and sage training but also provide us with something that even Orochimaru cannot, you can consider the contract between him and us null."** The boy nodded in understanding, causing the colossus to return to his former spot. All the while, the white beast before them had been totally focused on the young man before her.

 **"Your attitude reminds me of Anko-chan, while your potential rivals, if not surpasses that, of Orochimaru,"** she declared, causing silence to reign in the room. She retreated from her perch directly in front of Kirai, returning to her resting place. **"Very well. If you can defeat the three serpents mentioned, you will be given our full contract and allowed to begin sage and basic training. I also will add on another point."** She turned to the five snake leaders and smiled. **"Orochimaru must not hear of this, understood? He and his followers would surely kill this boy if they knew of his ties to us."** The heads nodded before Manda spoke up once more.

 **"Child, I have a suggestion,"** he offered, causing the boy to turn to him. **"Instead of fighting and potentially killing these three leaders, why not choose from my children instead?"** He slammed his tail down without waiting for an answer. Seven large serpents flew from various holes in the wall, landing in front of their father gracefully. **"You are to engage this child in one-on-one combat as his senjutsu trials. If he does not succeed, feel free kill him. He will be fighting with everything he has to do the same, so go all-out."** Manda's spawn all hissed in response before turning to Kirai. The boy sized them up before deciding on his course of action. He pointed to a black mamba, causing a predatory grin to stretch out over his scaly face. As they prepared for battle, the snake hissed out a mocking greeting.

 **"Such an honor, Shōkansamurai-dono (" honorable summoner"),"** he taunted, coiling in preparation to pounce. **"However, you will find me to be a cut above my other siblings. My name is Kuro (" black"), the oldest of my father's children."** Kirai did not respond, however, choosing to instead take a wide taijutsu stance. He had been taught the Academy taijutsu incorrectly, necessitating modification. It was usually a balanced style that depended on rotation and agility. However, due to his body being much sturdier, Kirai had adapted it into what he called Kotai Kashi no Hōhō (Solid Oak Method/Way of the Solid Oak), which depended on solid stances and firm punches and blocks. He had not yet modified it for kicks, which had led to the unfinished style he was currently developing. However, due to the size and speed of his opponent, this form seemed appropriate.

"Greetings, Kuro-san. I am Kirai of Konohagakure, and I am looking forward to killing you," he stated impassively, causing the serpent's eyes to narrow at the seeming impudence of this child. He decided to go for the instant kill. He sped towards the boy at untold speed, swallowing him instantly. The snakes present merely shook their heads in disappointment or resignation, except for the Hakuja Sennin. She merely chuckled before waiting for the inevitable to happen. After several moments, Kuro's eyes flew open along with his mouth before he expanded, imploding in a messy shower of blood, guts, and smoke. Manda roared in anguish and shock.

 **"Impossible! How does this child know such an advanced jutsu?!"** he cried as he stared at the remains of his son. Kirai was still in the same stance as he was previously, only now covered in snake guts. He remained unperturbed, his eyes lazily moving down the line of young snakes. They were all wary now, having watched their eldest brother's assured victory snatched away in an instant along with his life. Kirai's eyes settled on a massive snake that rivaled even Manda's size. He pointed to her, causing a snarl to break out over her reptilian features.

 **"You will pay for your insolence, boy!"** she roared, slowly slithering into the ring. Kirai's eyes narrowed at this. Unlike her other siblings, this snake was built purely for strength and defense. The same tactics would not work on her. **"I am Murasakino ( purple), second-eldest daughter of Manda and twin of Midori (green)."** Kirai nodded in acknowledgment before adopting the basic Academy stance to allow for greater speed. He had barely managed to master it before team assignments but had done so. One hand was held next to his face while the other was at a right angle across his stomach to give a balanced defense.

"Let us see if you are stronger than your elder brother. Oboro Bunshin no Jutsu (Haze Clone Technique)!" he announced boldly as several dozen clones seemed to rise out of the earth before converging on the mammoth beast. Murasakino was too focused on them to notice the boy make a single hand sign before he blurred out of existence. The purple snake chuckled spitefully as she cut literal swaths through the intangible clones.

 **"What a weak technique! Where is the power you showed mere moments ago?!"** taunted the snake as more clones continued to rise from the earth. She turned to find several attacking her back and sides as well but didn't even bother. However, as she turned back around, she felt a kunai stab her in the tail. She turned to find one of the clones grinning up at her innocently. She raised a non-existent eyebrow before batting it away…or at least trying to you. Her eyes widened at the realization that this was one of the intangible clones, not a solid one. **"Impossible…"** At an unspoken signal, all of the clones converged on their opponent, blades in hand. The serpent roared as she tried to fend them off but soon found herself spasming as pain racked her entire body as if a hive of bees had stung her unanimously.

"You laugh at my techniques…" began Kirai as he blurred into existence. "I spent a week in the deadliest training ground in the entire continent, perfecting these techniques you call 'weak.' A true ninja does not need flashy ninjutsu or large techniques. We strike from the shadows…taking out our confused foes silently." With that, Murasakino finally fell, her tail throbbing in pain. It could no longer support her due to the innumerable puncture wounds littering her scaled flesh. Kirai slowly walked towards her, unsheathing Sasu slowly. "I know you won't surrender, so I will give you an honorable death. You wanted righteous vengeance, which I can understand. However, you still underestimated my power, despite seeing it on display mere moments ago. That was your folly." The purple serpent let out a weak, hissing laugh.

 **"You are an adept warrior, especially for one of your age,"** she rasped, her slitted eyes no longer holding fear, merely resignation and peace with her situation. As Kirai neared, she whispered to him. **"My father…he will not stand for this. Eventually, you must kill him. He will probably attempt to have you ambushed by the remainder of my siblings at the end of your third match. Please…"** She winced as Kirai kept moving his arm while he listened so as to not attract attention. **"Please let Midori and Aoda live. They will be loyal to you. They hate my father for his actions and loyalties, however weak, to that _scum_ Orochimaru."** The boy nodded before slamming his blade down onto the snake's neck, decapitating her.

 **"GRAH!"** roared Manda, sending the remainder of his five children hurtling towards the boy. However, the genin noted that two remained near the back. He smiled at the two before he suddenly disappeared. The Hakuja Sennin chuckled before the three frontrunners were promptly beheaded. Manda merely gaped as he realized the reason for this. The boy had cast a genjutsu at some point during the battle. All his focus and that of his children had been on the confusion with the clones and his daughter's pain. Now, he was left with two disappointments who were recoiling from the new summoner. The boy and his two clones landed before the serpents, staring them down.

"Murasakino warned me of that, but thought it would be much later," he explained, his face breaking out into a feral grin. "However, I cast an illusion to confuse her along with my mixed array of clones. It was nothing extravagant…I just hid my true form and three of my clones. As soon as 'I' killed your sister, which was actually my hidden clone, and I saw the sneak attack, I leaped into action." His smile softened as he lowered his blades. "Your sister told me about you two. Therefore, if you are willing, I wish to not only make you two my familiars along with Kohaku but also bring you into the fold of the Dokukiba Clan." Everyone was silent except for the sobbing of Manda, which alternated between angry and sad. The two siblings glanced at their deceased family, then their father, and then Kirai. They lowered their heads submissively, causing their father's roars to increase along with Kirai's grin. _'Everything went better than planned. Now, I am closer than anyone thought I would be to creating a contract between Konoha and the Hebi Clan. Soon…they will look at me differently. I will not only be feared by enemies but respected by this clan and my village.'_

* * *

 **There it is. I've set up Kirai in an advantageous position to complete his long-term mission. However, this will not be finished until the final stage of the** **Ch** **ūnin Exams or later. Now, for training purposes, he is going to be a mix between Gai, Kurenai, and Anko in terms of fighting capabilities. After his training, he will have learned a new taijutsu style, become more proficient in the ninjutsu he already has learned while also learning new Hebi Clan techniques, and master a few more genjutsu. He will begin his senjutsu training, but will not use it for a _long_ time. I do not want this to be an OP protagonist, but he will eventually get there. He will have it mastered before we enter Shipp** **ūden, so don't worry about that. Lastly, I listed the techniques Kirai has learned so far below if you want to see them. If you want to see descriptions and more info about them, check out my "story," _The Complete Naruto Encyclopedia_. Until next time!**

 **~Sir Zesto**

* * *

 **CURRENT LIST OF KIRAI'S JUTSU**

 **1\. Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique)**

 **2\. Kawarimi no Jutsu (Body Replacement Technique)**

 **3\. Magen: Kokoni Arazu no Jutsu (Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique)**

 **4\. Katon: Hakka-Gu no Jutsu (Fire Starter Technique)***

 **5\. Suiton: Shōkaki no Jutsu (Fire Quencher Technique)***

 **6\. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)**

 **7\. Oboro Bunshin no Jutsu (Haze Clone Technique)**

 **8\. Kinjutsu: Doro Ningyō (Forbidden Technique: Mud Golem)**

 **9\. Ki Nobori no Shugyō (Tree Climbing Practice)**

 **10\. Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique)**

 **11\. Meisaigakure no Jutsu (Hiding with Camouflage Technique)**

 **12\. Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique)**

 **13\. Suimen Hokō no Gyō (Water Surface Walking Practice)**

 **14\. Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)**

 ***: These techniques are my original creations, names and all. If someone else has created the exact same technique with the same name, please let me know so I can edit it accordingly to avoid any issues.**


	6. Dreams

**A/N: I'M ALIVE! Sorry for the wait, but I had the end of school that led directly into working full time. I'm all ready now, though. I should be updating more frequently, but the schedule will definitely be adjusted since I am streaming on Twitch and doing YouTube vids again. However, I will not neglect this site and my stories. I may just focus on one story a month or something. Keep posted for changes.**

 **The pairing poll is pretty one-sided at the moment:**

 **~Shizuka (6)**

 **~Fu (3)**

 **~Ameno/Hana (2)**

 **~Tayuya (1)**

 **The poll has been removed from my profile page, but can still be accessed through the forum links. Just click on "Vault of Konohagakure" and it will be there. The poll will be closing by the third stage of the Chunin Exams, which is still a ways off. Just make sure to get your votes in. I will be taking out the two lowest options after the completion of the Wave Arc. Also, I am open to suggestions for any pairings outside of Mito and Naruto. Those two have been locked in.**

 **With that done, on with the show!**

* * *

Dialogue Guide

"Human talking"

 _'Human thinking'_

 _"Mental human communication"_

"Bijuu/Summons talking"

'Bijuu/Summons thinking'

 _"Mental Bijuu/Summons communication"_

"Jutsu (English Translation)"

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I just do this for fun, and you guys like it. So, I keep doing it.

* * *

 **Dreams**

I groaned as my alarm clock sounded off. My aching arm flopped lifelessly in an attempt to silence it but to no avail. After multiple attempts, I finally sat up and slammed my fist down, silencing the annoying device forever. A cursory glance around the room revealed that I was once again in my room at the Konoha barracks. After a month or so in Ryūchidō, I had become accustomed to low light levels, musty smells…and Kohaku's sadistic glee in waking me up at absurd hours. I understand I need to have that mindset as a shinobi…but two in the morning is pushing it. What made it even worse is that I had actually been told that actual senjutsu training could not begin until my body reached a certain physical maturity. Instead, they focused on teaching me the snake techniques specific to their clan, poison techniques, and genjutsu. They had told me I was too inexperienced to begin learning any elemental techniques, so those were the only things they focused on.

After rubbing the last dredges of sleep from my eyes, I allowed my feet to touch the icy floor. Accustomed to the feeling, I snatched a towel and ducked into the communal shower in my hallway. After quickly lathering and rinsing, I returned to my room to suit up. The closet door creaked as it swung open from disuse. _'Guess I'll have to oil it later.'_ I quickly grabbed all of my clothes and my forehead protector before throwing them all on. Glancing in the mirror, my eyes flicked over the various articles of clothing I had chosen—a sleeveless blue track top, a pair of dark blue baggy pants, and my black shinobi boots. I deftly tied my forehead protector around my chest like a sash, silently thanking Anko for its elongated state. The metal plate rested over my heart and my two hachiwari were strapped across the small of my back. I sighed as I pulled on my dark red gloves, remembering how annoying it was to get them. _'Garada has a nasty temper.'_ My thoughts were derailed by someone knocking on my door.

"Hey, Gaki-kun!" greeted Anko as she slipped into my room, a bright smile on her seemingly cherubic face. My eyes narrowed suspiciously as she sashayed towards me. "I wanted to do a final assessment of your skills with a couple of my friends present. They were both unavailable, as one has been training a genin and the other was on a mission." I nodded in understanding, grabbing my large weapons satchel before attaching it to the bottom of my makeshift sash.

"I'm ready whenever you are, sensei," I announced, causing the violette to sigh in annoyance as I exited the room. She followed close behind as I pulsed my chakra through the oak door, sealing it shut.

"I've told you a thousand times, Rai-kun, call me Anko-nee-chan!" chided Anko with a pout. My eyebrow curled up before returning to its original position as I ignored her in favor of making my way to the training ground adjoining the barracks. I pushed open the iron doors, closing my eyes contentedly as the early morning rays bathed my chilly face with their warm glow. I heard a snort from behind me as Anko let me revel for a few moments before she shoved me forward. "Get moving, Rai-kun. These two have important things to attend to." I sighed at the pushy kunoichi before I continued onwards, taking note of the two figures who stood on the sidelines.

The first was a stunning ravenette woman with vibrant red eyes. The only reasons I did not immediately mistake her for an Uchiha was the lack of a crest on her clothing and the warm smile that was displayed on her pale face. She wore a short dress that looked suspiciously like bandages with a single red sleeve covering her right arm. She also had bandages wound around her arms—with the right hand being covered as well—and thighs. Overall, she gave off a slightly seductive tone that nearly caused me to blush. Thankfully, training under Anko had caused me to develop an immunity to such things. My gaze flicked to the second person. He was a grinning man with shoulder-length brown hair, brown eyes, and a bandanna-styled forehead protector that was tied at the front. He had a wooden senbon clenched between his teeth, seeming to denote skills in bukijutsu.

"Took long enough, Anko," he teased, expertly rolling the senbon to the corner of his mouth so that he could speak easily. "Did you lose your makeup kit this morning?" The kunoichi huffed but refrained from returning the jibe with one of her own. The shinobi flicked his gaze over to me before returning his gaze to Anko. "This is the genin you want us to teach?" The kunoichi nodded, her face serious.

"His parentage is directly related to your sensei, actually," she revealed casually, causing me to tense along with the man. His head whipped around to pin me with a searching stare. I struggled to keep my face neutral as she continued. "He has expressed interest in following in her footsteps. For now, he is a part of Kakashi's team with the Uzumaki and Uchiha brats." The ravenette next to the stunned shinobi lifted a delicate eyebrow before she stepped forward.

"I spent some time with Mito-chan, teaching her genjutsu," she revealed before turning to fully face me, her smile still warm. "I am Jōnin Yūhi Kurenai, the foremost genjutsu expert in Konoha and sensei of Team 8. The man next to me is Shiranui Genma." The man continued to stare oddly at me before he snapped out of his daze and nodded curtly. "Anko-chan brought us here to assess your skills in our areas of expertise, namely genjutsu and bukijutsu, as well as any other areas. Which would you like to display first, Kirai-kun?" I hummed in thought before nodding to Genma. The man grunted before whizzing through hand seals and slamming a hand onto the ground. Several thick clumps of earth shot from the ground all around me.

"Anko said you know two techniques and have found a way to combine them," he stated, his eyes flinty as he regarded me almost judgingly. "Show me." I nodded before taking a ready stance, my left leg shifted back. I tossed a single shuriken into the air before making the shadow clone seal.

"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!" I announced. The single weapon multiplied into twenty copies as they spun above me. Activating the hidden seals in my gloves, I thrust my hands out, sending strands of ninja wire shooting forth that latched onto the weapons. I pivoted on my back foot, pirouetting and pulling the deadly weapons around me in a gray blur. "Dance of the Miko!" The star-shaped blades thunked dully into the makeshift targets, embedding themselves into the dense earth. My mouth split into a smirk as I regarded Kurenai and Genma's shocked expressions and Anko's proud smile. "Along with the shuriken variants of the shadow clone technique, I also used the Manipulated Shuriken Technique to attach ninja wire that I summon from specialized seals in my gloves." Genma regained his composure, rolling his senbon eagerly.

"How did you attach the strings so…economically?" he questioned, his want to understand my technique blatantly obvious. I shook my head, crossing my arms resolutely.

"A good shinobi never reveals the intricacies of his jutsu. All I told you could have been easily gleaned and understood," I noted, tugging sharply on the still-attached wires to return them to me, pulling the original shuriken back to me while the others dispelled. "However, as you teach me, I am more than willing to teach you in return." Genma's eager expression was quickly replaced by an impressed one before he nodded. He repeated the jutsu from before, returning the earthen mounds into the ground, returning the training ground to its previous state.

"Isn't he awesome, Nai-chan?!" gushed Anko as she slammed into my back, nuzzling her cheek against mine and pressing her assets into my back. I smiled gently and returned her affectionate gesture. After training with her for the short time I had after completing the basic Ryūchi Cave training, we had become almost like siblings. We were not quite there yet, but she was making a concerted effort to make it happen. "He's even starting to bring his genjutsu up to par with his bukijutsu, believe it or not." The red-eyed kunoichi smiled fondly at her friend before she inclined her head to me.

"Most impressive, Kirai-kun. Let us see if Anko-chan's praised holds up," she challenged, causing me to nod in response. I pried the now pouting Anko off my back and faced the genjutsu mistress. Her reputation preceded her as not only a master of illusion but also of an efficient and cold kunoichi towards her enemies and a kind and compassionate friend to her allies. _'Let's go with number two, then.'_ I made the Seal of Confrontation, confusing the kunoichi. I followed it up with a ram and snake seal. I smirked as Kurenai's eyes widened.

3rd Person POV

Kurenai stared at the massive constrictor as it shot from the earth beside Kirai, the boy himself smirking confidently. The serpent locked gazes with her, freezing her in place. It launched towards her, speckled scales filling her vision as it slowly began to coil around her. _'He was supposed to use a genjutsu, not a summoning technique!'_ Her lungs compressed as the snake continued to coil around her, restricting her ability to breathe significantly. She regained her ability to move, but it was too late. The narrow head came to rest next to her, tongue flicking out to caress her cheek.

"Get off of me!" she shrieked shrilly, her composure broken from the imminent death. "Anko! Call him off!" She waited for a response but got none. That was when she realized something. Genma, Anko, and Kirai were no longer visible. She groaned at her stupidity, her cheeks coloring as she pulsed her chakra, breaking apart the illusion. However, the constricting feeling remained. She glanced down to find several normal-sized snakes coiled around her torso, giving her warning hisses to deter any resistance. He looked up into the confident gaze of Kirai, his icy orbs flickering in amusement. Her shock now outweighed her embarrassment at the fact this boy knew Anko's techniques.

"Surrender, Yūhi-san," he ordered, his set jaw contrasting his dancing eyes. She nodded, instantly releasing the pressure on her ribs. She greedily gulped air as she regained her composure. She heard Anko cheer, Genma stuttered, and someone else clapping. She turned to find Aoba watching them with a small smile.

"Well done, Kirai," he congratulated, gaining the boy's attention. "That was very impressive. While I wish to know what Kurenai-san saw, I must ask that you wrap this up. Kakashi-san is waiting for you." He jerked his head back to a slouched figure, who raised a hand in greeting upon his reveal. Aoba turned to a gaping Genma, his smile widening at his friend's flabbergasted expression. "What's the verdict?" The stunned man coughed into his hand, taking care not to poke himself with his weapon of choice. He nodded slowly, still processing what he had just seen.

"I, Tokubetsu Jōnin Shiranui, accept Kirai as my student in the art of bukijutsu until such a time as when he no longer requires my assistance," he clipped out before shaking his head. "Hopefully, he will be able to teach _me_ at that point." The genin gave a small smile at that, keeping his gaze fixed on Kakashi. The masked man pushed off of the wall he had been leaning against and strolled over to the amassed shinobi. He fixed Kurenai with a lazy stare.

"Kurenai-san?" he asked, causing everyone to turn their gazes to the blushing jōnin. She was still embarrassed by her inability to recognize the obvious genjutsu. However, she was coherent enough to give a response.

"I, Jōnin Yūhi, accept Kirai as my student in the art of genjutsu until such a time as when he no longer requires my assistance," she announced, a fond smile on her face as she looked over to Anko. "You found a wonderful student, Anko-chan. I'm jealous." The violette nodded haughtily, perfectly aware of her Kirai-kun's potential. _'Now if only the village and the rest of the shinobi force could see that…'_ She glanced over to the smiling Kakashi, her proud grin softening at his obvious pride in the younger shinobi.

"Rai-kun, the rest of the team is waiting for us," interrupted Kakashi, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "We are actually a little bit late." Five deadpanned faces turned to an embarrassed Kakashi before the sound of four hands smacking foreheads resounded through the training ground. Kirai rolled his eyes at his sensei's antics before he walked over to stand next to him.

"Let's go, sensei," he ordered, getting a relieved sigh from the spiky-haired jōnin. "But don't think you are off the hook just yet…I will be getting retribution for this later." The man shivered before drooping in depression. He raised a single hand in a half-ram before the two shinobi disappeared in a swirl of leaves. The rest of the amassed ninja shook their heads in exasperation before leaving to fulfill their various duties.

* * *

Kirai's POV

I stared down at the enraged Naruto, smirking at his vocal dislike for our tardiness. He had grown significantly over the last month. His previous jumpsuit was now replaced by a black training gi top and pants with a burnt orange outline, black shinobi gloves, and a pair of black Anbu boots. His headband had been changed out for one with a longer trail with the tails reaching the small of his back.

"Seriously, Kakashi-sensei!" he berated, ignoring the stammering man's attempts to placate him. "It's our first day back on the job, and you decide to not only make yourself late but drag Kirai into it as well!" I rolled my eyes before shifting my gaze to the scowling Mito. She had changed to a plain black battle dress that reached the middle of her thighs. It came with the standard Uchiha collar and symbol on the back. Her headband was hidden by the raised neckline of her clothing, nestled against the base of her jugular. Black shorts were barely visible underneath her dress, nearly touching the tall shinobi sandals she had tied to her legs with several bandages. Even her arms were tightly wound with the white material, giving her a very dominating appearance.

"Ma, ma, Naruto-kun," began Kakashi before he glanced over to Mito. "We need to start the team exercise, or there will be no 'back on the job'." The whiskered blonde settled down, resigning to a scathing glare that he leveled at his sensei. The masked man walked over to the nearby stump and placed a familiar alarm clock on it and pulled out two bells. "Same drill as before, but make sure to avoid betraying your team this time, ne?" My teammates reddened at the chiding tone, nodding shamefully as he tied the objectives to his belt loop. I leaped down from my perch on the middle post and sauntered over to stand between the two genin.

"Ready when you are, sensei," I said, activating the seals on my gloves. Naruto dropped into an unfamiliar taijutsu stance and Mito unsheathed a chokutō she had hidden under her dress, briefly flashing a blood red belt holding her shorts up. Kakashi straightened up, his expression serious as he nodded. He withdrew his hands from his pockets.

"Alright then," he began, subtly slipping into a wide stance. "Your time starts…" He suddenly eye-smiled, making my own eyes widen in realization. _'No! Gotta reach him!'_ I shoved chakra through my legs, rocketing me towards him, but it was too late. "…now." He poofed out of existence, replaced by a log. I shattered it with a roundhouse kick, growling at Kakashi's ploy. I felt the other two run up next to me.

"Capabilities. I'll start," clipped out Mito as she pressed back against my right shoulder with Naruto mimicking the action on my left. He had summoned a bō staff, twirling it expertly before returning to his previous stance. "I am proficient in kenjutsu and genjutsu. I know two utility genjutsu, some fire and lightning techniques, and have a contract with the Tora clan." She flicked her eyes towards Naruto, ignoring my look of surprise at her knowing two elements.

"Bōjutsu, seals, and taijutsu," he clipped out, his eyes frantically flicking through the treetops. "I also have a contract with the Saru clan, allowing me access to their transformation abilities, and can utilize wind and water techniques." I grit my teeth. Both of my teammates had two elements they could use. _'It's so unfair.'_ I regained my head enough to list my own abilities.

"Proficient in taijutsu, genjutsu, and bukijutsu," I rattled off, teeth still set in frustration. "I can also use my hachiwari, a few genjutsu, and have a contract with the Hebi Clan, allowing me access to their techniques." I felt the surprise but ignored it in favor of weaving the monkey and dog seals before projecting my chakra outward. "To the trees. I placed a genjutsu over this area that will make it seem like we are slowly becoming less and less aware, meaning Kakashi should attack at any—" We leaped away from each other as a hail of shuriken slammed into the ground where we had previously been standing. "…moment." I ducked under the gloved fist, wincing at the displaced air that rustled my hair. I lashed my hand out towards my sensei, pulsing my summoning seal. "Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!" Serpents flew from the cuff of my glove, narrowly missing my sensei's stomach as he leaped back, holding the tiger seal.

"Fire Release: Grand Fireball Technique!" he announced as a flaming stream flew from his mouth, forcing me to retract the snakes and leap to the side, barely avoiding the hot beam. I tucked my knees to my chest and rolled several times before popping to my feet. Mito had engaged Kakashi with her chokutō while Naruto was spamming shadow clones to draw his attention away from her. I sighed before running through my list of techniques. He had already seen my constrictor illusion and Dance of the Miko. _'Let's mix it up then.'_ I bit my finger and alternated between the snake and dragon seals three times before slamming my hand on the ground. A small group of white snakes appeared that slowly coalesced into an exact replica of myself.

"Shadow Clone Technique," I murmured while making the necessary sign, causing five clones to pop into existence. I then made the dog and tiger signs, summoning nearly a hundred haze clones. We all converged upon Kakashi, forcing Naruto and Mito to leap back as the small army engaged the jōnin. I made sure to stay in the thick of it while the snake clone stayed near the back. Once Kakashi's eye alighted upon it, he quickly cut a swath through my clones and rushed it. As he threw a punch, however, the snakes split apart in the middle before closing in on his hand, biting into his arm with several venomous fangs. He winced before breathing a stream of fire to dispel the doppelganger. His arm hung by his side as the poison began to take effect.

"Impressive, Kirai," he praised, his eye narrowing. "But I don't need my hands for all my jutsu." Two shadow clones blurred into existence on either side of him as Mito and Naruto joined me, weapons at the ready. I unsheathed Sasu and Mesu, laying them gently against my shoulders and bending my knees.

"Naruto, get ready to give him cover," ordered Mito as she held the tiger hand seal. I heard the blonde grunt in affirmation, which was all I needed to launch myself at my sensei. The two clones rushed me, kunai in hand. "Collaboration Technique: Firestorm!" I dropped into a slide as the aptly named firestorm launched over me, incinerating the two shocked clones immediately. Pushing off the ground, I flipped in midair, uncrossed my blades, and brought them down upon the masked jōnin. He hastily grabbed two kunai and caught my hachiwari, slowly sliding down. I smirked triumphantly, causing his single eye to narrow. _'Gotcha.'_ I shoved my swords up, allowing the kunai to slide all the way down into the hooked slot at the blades' base. After taking a moment to pleasure in my sensei's shocked amazement, I wrenched the kunai from his hands and used the momentum give him a narrow on the leg, freeing the two bells from his waistband.

"Got 'em!" came Naruto's muffled cry as he shot out of the earth, his hand outstretched to snag the bells. Kakashi lashed out his leg instinctively but found it restrained by several strands of ninja wire, courtesy of one Uchiha Mito. The heiress smirked as Naruto snatched the bells before quickly rolling away. The blonde genin held them up triumphantly. "Ha! Look at that sensei! How's that for teamwork, huh?!" The jōnin stared at us in stunned awe before sighing resignedly.

"Well done, Naruto," he applauded before turning serious. "Who will get the second bell?" That caused us all to freeze up. We had been so caught up in our mission to grab the bells that we forgot the end result. I flicked my eyes to the two hesitant genin and groaned. _'They are far more skilled than I am. They deserve to be in the squad with an elite ninja like Kakashi. After all, Anko will take me on as an apprentice.'_ I raised my hand slowly.

"I'll abstain from taking one, Kakashi-san," I volunteered, ignoring the gasps of surprise from my former teammates. "Those two deserve to work under you considering their skill and training. After all, I'm just the—" My mouth clamped shut from the fist that slammed into my jaw, sending me stumbling back into Mito, who did not look happy. Naruto growled at me, gesticulating wildly.

"What the hell are you on, Kirai?!" he roared, leveling an accusing finger at me. "You were the one who placed yourself on the front lines and gave Mito-chan and I the chance to get the bells." I turned to the Uchiha, who affirmed Naruto's assessment with a curt nod. My eyes flicked back to Naruto as he continued to rant. "If that's the case, I should give you my bell! I did the least amount of work and stayed in the background." I heard an annoyed grunt from Mito as she shoved past me.

"Baka, you got the bells while Furyō-kun created the diversion," she rebutted, her arms crossed. "You could have done without me. I should give him my bell." I smiled softly, causing the girl to redden. "Only because he did something useful, mind you! I don't like him or anything sappy like that!" Naruto snickered while I chuckled. We all jumped when Kakashi began to clap slowly.

"Well done, Team 7. You pass," he revealed, giving us his signature eye smile. "You embraced my lessons wholeheartedly, although you seemed to forget that I had not only already passed you but revealed the true meaning of the test." We blushed in embarrassment at our lack of memory as he continued. "However, that merely made your performance all the more admirable." He grabbed the alarm clock and motioned for Naruto to give him the bells. After retrieving them, he looked us each in the eye, his expression back to its standard lazy look. "Training starts tomorrow at 0600 hours. We will take missions from noon to 1600 hours. From there, you will spend the rest of your time training with your individual instructors and studying on your own. You get weekdays off and can take solo missions if you so wish." He smiled again. _'I wonder how he gets that perfect U shape…'_ "This team is the most impressive I have seen in a long time. I expect you all to go far and do great things." Our smiles nearly split our faces open (or, in Mito's case, her smirk almost became a smile) at the praise from our sensei. He raised a hand in a wave before disappearing in a plume of smoke.

"Awesome! We're the best, dattebayo!" cheered Naruto, thrusting his hands into the air. He turned to Mito and me, his whiskered face stretched to unnatural lengths "Let's go celebrate at Ichiraku's, you guys! My treat!" I glanced at my other teammate, who gave a resigned shrug. I nodded hesitantly, unused to these kinds of interactions. "All right! Come on!" The blonde grabbed our arms, ignoring my shout of surprise and Mito's swearing. I smiled fondly as we were dragged along, letting my mind wander. _'The last Uchiha, the village pariah, and the outcast…we may be a band of misfits, but we will be great. I just know it. With them by my side and the leadership of people like Kakashi-sensei and Anko-nee…our dreams will come true. No doubt about it!'_

* * *

 **Team 7 can now function as a unit. If you are wondering why they are so friendly now...they aren't. Mito and Naruto were merely bombarded with the concept of teamwork to the point of it becoming ingrained within their mindsets. They will still be at odds for a while. Naruto will be more friendly, but Mito will be basically the same. Also, the namesake of this story will start to come into play now. Just realize that there was no law on Kirai's heritage (which is still undisclosed), so parents were allowed to talk to their kids about it. Only his team will really have a good relationship with him for a long time. In fact, only a handful of shinobi even likes Kirai, and they all have been shown already.**

 **Most of you are probably wondering what Mito will do now that Kirai has the Hebi contract. That will become apparent as we get farther into the story. Once again, there is a reason I named this story "Overwhelming Hate," and it will play heavily into the later parts of the story. With that aside, I'm going to end this off here. Just remember to place your votes if you haven't already! Until next time!**

 **~Sir Zesto**


	7. Expectations

**A/N: Yay! Back on schedule...for now anyway. This chapter was really fun to write as I delve into the backstories of not only the canon members of Team 7 but also Kirai a little bit. No major information will be revealed, as I want his parents to really be a surprise because I have never seen them in a fic before. Anyways, enough about that. Make sure to check the bottom AN for current poll results if you are so inclined.**

* * *

Dialogue Guide

"Human talking"

 _'Human thinking'_

 _"Mental human communication"_

"Bijuu/Summons talking"

'Bijuu/Summons thinking'

 _"Mental Bijuu/Summons communication"_

"Jutsu"

* * *

 **Expectations**

' _Well…I guess all dreams start somewhere,'_ mused Kirai as he flicked his wrist for what felt like the millionth time that day. It had been only two days since Kakashi's test, but he was doubting his original impressions of their sensei. Neither he nor his teammates had been surprised at the missions they were starting out with. Even though D-Ranks were little more than chores, they were used to foster the relations between the civilian and shinobi sides of life. Most other shinobi villages had a different definition for D-Ranks, most often putting delivery and patrol missions under the preliminary heading. However, Konoha was much more mindful of its non-shinobi population due to its less militant agenda and outlook. However, just because Kirai understood didn't mean he had to like it.

"Sensei, why do you always pick the difficult missions?!" groaned Naruto, causing Mito to clench her teeth in controlled annoyance. The Uzumaki did not seem to understand the meaning of silence. He was either bugging Kakashi, whining about their missions, or bugging her or Kirai. She shared an exasperated glance with Kirai, who returned it with an amused one. _'He does have a point, though. We never take any delivery or retrieval missions. We take farming and repair missions. But, to make it even worse…'_ Kirai ducked under the kunai that Kakashi lazily slung at the complaining blonde. _'…sensei makes it even harder by assigning additional parameters or handicaps. For example, we have to use our non-dominant hand to paint these fences…with five coats.'_ The boy sighed heavily, but his ire was more directed towards the aftermath of the missions instead of their content. Because of the physically-demanding missions, none of the genin had the energy to train and went right home after their assignment-filled day. It was truly grating that they seemed to be demoted to mere chore boys (and girl) instead of ninja-in-training.

"Something bothering you, Rai-kun?" Kakashi questioned, his lone eye remaining fixated on his…literature. The orange-haired boy shifted his gaze from the picket fence to his relaxing sensei. "You wouldn't be happening to be doubting me as a sensei, would you?" Kirai arched a brow before shrugging and returning to his task as he gave his response.

"No, but I am confused and slightly irritated at the lack of training we are receiving. All we do are taxing missions, leaving us without any energy to engage in even basic conditioning," he explained, getting a thoughtful hum in response. "You have made your skill very apparent as a shinobi, but there is only so many missions like this that we can do." Another hum. The rookie shinobi huffed at the seemingly uncaring nature of his sensei's responses. However, the abrupt shutting of his teacher's book regained his attention. The man was staring at them thoughtfully before his lone orb curled into an eye-smile.

"Kirai, Naruto, make some shadow clones to finish up here. I need to show you something," he ordered, getting eager and immediate responses from his relieved genin. After five copies of both students had been summoned, Team 7 began to slowly walk towards the outskirts of Konoha towards the training grounds. "Believe it or not, Rai-kun, D-Ranks have two secondary purposes outside of merely fostering relationships with civilians." Three pairs of eyes locked on to the jōnin's back as he continued his lecture. "The first is the building of teamwork. This is accomplished through escort, protection, and retrieval, such as babysitting or the infamous Tora mission." The genin involuntarily shuddered when the Demon Cat of Konoha was mentioned. They had seen Team 8 returning from that mission, and it wasn't pretty. Kurenai looked like she had slept in the forest before taking a mud bath and drying off with a tree branch. Shino's glasses were cracked badly, his hair was much shorter, and he was soaked to the bone. Kiba had gotten the worst of it, though. His feral face had been littered with gashes, his hood had been torn off, and he was covered in urine, courtesy of a scared-to-death Akamaru, who had been catatonic upon their return. Oddly enough, Hinata had not only been fine but was smiling and cooing at the kitten that lounged innocently in her arms.

"Imagine how much teamwork was required to maneuver that cat into position," continued Kakashi, derailing his students' thoughts. "The second purpose is what we have been engaging in: conditioning and practical knowledge. By painting fences, helping a farmer gather his crops, and filling a new storeroom for the weaponsmith, you not only gain skills that can be used in everyday life, but also on an espionage mission. Say you are posing as a merchant, but don't have basic knowledge of stocks and how to appropriately organize and store them. Your cover would be blown. The conditioning is self-explanatory, although I enhance it with my inclusion of extra parameters and guidelines." He turned towards his min—uh, students, and smiled proudly at the understanding that was beginning to show.

"So, these missions are meant to be a form of substitutionary training for new genin, then?" guessed Mito, getting an affirming nod from the cyclops. "That makes sense…but wouldn't you also want to work on basic tactics and ninjutsu for when you eventually go on C-Rank missions?" Kakashi nodded again, smiling down at the team's kunoichi.

"Very good, Mito-chan. You are absolutely correct," he praised, getting a smug grin in response. He raised his finger as he continued. "However, the requirements for C-Ranks are one month of D-Ranks or twenty-five completed missions by the team. Also, for orphans such as Naruto and Kirai, their stipends are discontinued upon gaining shinobi status, so the money is vital to them for basic necessities such as food, equipment, and clothing." The two mentioned boys nodded in agreement before Kirai raised his own question.

"So, why not just forgo the extra parameters so we can still engage in basic tactics, taijutsu, and other necessary skills?" he wondered, getting an impressed look from the elite shinobi. The jōnin opened his mouth to respond before a loud cry of "KAKASHIIIIII!" made him go white as a sheet. The three confused greenhorns spun around to find a large dust cloud speeding towards them. At the front of that cloud was a…green man. As he drew closer, their jaws dropped in horror at his appearance. He wore a one-piece spandex suit that was colored a vibrant green, orange legwarmers, and the Konoha flak jacket. His black hair seemed to be polished with how it shone like glass in the late afternoon sun and framed his entire face in a standard bowl cut. And lastly…his eyebrows.

"Oh Kami! What are those things on his face?!" cried Naruto, backing away in fear from the strange shinobi that continued to blitz towards them. "They look like big, hairy caterpillars!" Mito had already dove into a nearby alley to avoid the beast that was speeding towards them, Kakashi had flickered away, and Kirai hid underneath a merchant cart that slowly began to creak away. The blonde whimpered as the man screeched to a halt in front of him.

"Kakashi, my eternal rival! Where did you go?!" roared the monstrosity as his head whipped all over the place in search of the, in Naruto's mind, cowardly jōnin. _'How could they abandon me to this guy?! He's a FREAK!'_ As if hearing his thoughts, the man homed in on the fearful genin. His mouth cracked into a vibrant smile that sparkled brightly. "Hello, my youthful genin! You wouldn't happen to be a student of my eternal rival, Hatake Kakashi, would you?" Naruto nodded dumbly, realizing his mistake too late as he was crushed in a hug by the exuberant jōnin. Tears streamed down his chiseled face, showering the unfortunate jinchūriki in salty liquid. "OOHHH! My rival is so youthful to have taken on such youthful students! Come, young one! I will share with you the secrets of my youth!" He sped away, ignoring Naruto's desperate pleas for help as they vanished into the horizon…which had somehow become an ocean with a setting sun. Mito stuck her head out, pity and guilt written across her soft features.

"Kami forgive us," she muttered, getting hums of agreement from both the civilians and shinobi alike who had witnessed the odd spectacle. Kakashi popped his head over the edge of a roof, slumping in relief as he said a silent prayer for his student. Even he wasn't crazy enough to willingly join Gai in one of his insane workouts…but he had just allowed his brand-new student to be absconded with for that very purpose. His eye began to water as he begged Minato and Kushina for forgiveness, unaware of them plotting his demise in that very moment from their perch in heaven.

* * *

Kakashi smiled at his remaining two students, who had fixed their sensei with a fierce glare. "Since Naruto is absent, we will refrain from the teamwork exercises we were originally going to practice," he chirps, intensifying the accusing glares from Kirai and Mito. He sweatdropped before clearing his throat firmly. He pulled out two small sheets of thick paper and handed one to each of them. "This is special chakra paper. It comes from the Ki **(2)** trees in Tetsu no Kuni. You channel chakra through it to discover your elemental inclination, which is more commonly referred to as an affinity. Mito-chan, if you would demonstrate…" The kunoichi nodded, clutching the sheet between her index finger and thumb. It quickly crinkled before igniting at the top and slowly burning through the medium. Kirai looked at it in interest as Kakashi clarified. "Now, the reason for the dual reaction is because of Mito-chan's training with fire techniques. Otherwise, it would just be lightning. You only have one natural affinity but can train others up over time. For example, the Shodaime and Sandaime had proficiency in all five elements. I myself know jutsu from each element, but only have proficiency in lightning, which is my natural affinity, earth, and water. Go ahead and test your affinity." The boy eagerly glanced down and prepared to discover his alignment…but was interrupted by a loud voice.

"SENSEIII!" screamed Naruto exuberantly as his figure became visible at the front of the cloud. However, Kakashi paled at the sight of him while Kirai and Mito facepalmed. The reason for that was the fact that Naruto had somehow managed to find something worse than his orange jumpsuit to wear. He had donned Gai's unique spandex, complete with legwarmers and red headband tied around his waist. "I need to show you my youth! Gai-sensei taught me so much!" Kirai and Mito turned around…only to see several leaves flutter to the ground from Kakashi teleporting away in terrified horror. The blonde pulled up short, thrusting his fist out with his thumb jutting skyward. "Greetings, my most youthful comrades. _Please help!_ " His teammates blinked before staring behind the boy at another oncoming dust cloud. The originator of the storm was Maito Gai, the man who they had encountered earlier and who had absconded with the whiskered member of Team 7. Naruto turned around, his face split in a dashing grin. "Gai-sensei! I have located my most youthful comrades! I must now engage in training with them to stoke my fires of YOUTH!" The two genin shivered as the man skidded to a stop in front of the Uzumaki, an equally wide grin on his chiseled features.

"Well done, Naruto-kun!" he boomed, placing a calloused hand on the boy's shoulder. "Once you finish your youthful training, make sure to locate Lee-kun and I once more so we may continue the vigorous stoking of our YOUTHFUL SPIRITS!" Naruto nodded eagerly, causing the man to speed off… _on his index fingers._ Kirai blinked at the amazing amount of conditioning and strength that must have taken to accomplish. _'I may just visit him for physical training…'_ He suddenly found himself face-to-face with the growling face of one Uchiha Mito.

"I know that look, Kirai," she snapped out, her face continuously contorting in anger. "Don't even _think_ about going to that freak for training. Just ask Kakashi to get serious, and that will be enough. After all, from what I heard him saying earlier, that…thing is rivals with our sensei." They heard a shout of relief, causing them to turn to Naruto, who had discarded his spandex in favor of his jumpsuit. She jerked back to Kirai, giving him such an intense look that the boy's iron will broke, allowing a light blush to seep into his face. Mito smirked before releasing him with a grunt. "I'm glad we reached an understanding…and so is Kakashi." The taller genin turned to find his sensei giving him a sickly-sweet smile. The boy shuddered at the honeyed words the dripped from his sensei's mouth like Manda's deadliest poison.

"Kirai-kun…never, _ever_ , consider training with Gai-san again, understood?" he chided, getting a hesitant nod from the worried boy. The jōnin clapped his hands together in finality before turning to a shivering Naruto. He gently patted the boy's back before handing him a slip of chakra paper. "Even though I am sure you already know your affinity, please demonstrate for the rest of the team." The blonde nodded, pinching the paper in a similar manner to Mito. It was sliced cleanly in two before on side slowly crumbled into dust. "Interesting. A natural wind with a developed earth, courtesy of Sandaime-sama, I assume." Naruto nodded.

"Sarutobi-jiji suggested learning a defensive element since I have such a powerful attacking one," he explained, a slightly arrogant smirk on his face. "He taught me several techniques with a couple for my wind as well." Kakashi hummed before turning to a disappointed Kirai. He sighed before motioning for the boy to follow. The orangette focused his gaze onto his unassuming piece of chakra paper before slowly injecting it with chakra. It simultaneously darkened and crumbled, causing his teammates to blink in confusion and Kakashi to raise a brow in interest.

"Interesting. You seemed to have a highly-developed affinity for yin chakra," observed Kakashi, causing the boy's expression to darken. The sensei ignored it as he continued. "You natural affinity balances out very well with the natural ones of the rest of the team. You are obviously going to be a strong supp—" The boy growled in rage, cutting his sensei off and surprising Naruto and Mito.

"I don't want her damned affinities," snapped the shinobi before turning on his heel towards the surrounding forest. "I want to be my own shinobi and rise above the hate the village throws my way…but I seem to just be a carbon copy." He blurred away, leaving a stunned trio of shinobi in his wake. Kakashi quickly locked on to his signature, created two clones, and sped off after his retreating student. He finally stopped a few training grounds over, his chakra still fluctuating in anger. The veteran jōnin inched out of the trees he had been rushing through, his lone eye shimmering sadly at the sight before him. The boy was switching between staring at a pile of dirt in his hand and his elongated shadow from where he lounged on the ground. Kakashi understood his frustration but felt that it was unwarranted. He would have said as much but understood that it would not be taken well. He slowly entered the clearing and sat beside him, staring at the afternoon sky.

"You know…I was proud for the longest time of being nothing like my father," began the silver-haired shinobi. Kirai remained motionless, allowing the dirt to slowly fall from his spread fingers. "I had a different affinity, different skills, and a greater mind. It distanced me from the man I thought had betrayed the village I protected. And yet…" His pause drew the attention of the brooding genin, who flicked his eyes across the jōnin's contorting face. "Once I got over his death and reached the rank of jōnin, I took up his prized blade that he had trained me in. However, my skills were rusty. If I had just practiced them consistently…my teammates may never have died." Kirai's eyes widened as he flipped over to focus all his attention upon his sensei, causing the cyclops to follow suit.

"So…you are saying that even though I dislike my abilities, I should embrace them in order to protect my team?" ventured the younger male, getting an affirmative hum in response. Kirai scoffed before laying down on his back. "They don't need my protection. Naruto already has a developed affinity for earth, they both have summoning contracts, and soon, Mito-chan will get her Sharingan, making my genjutsu abilities obsolete. What exactly do I bring that's unique to the team?" Kakashi's eye narrowed before slapped the boy upside the head, getting a glare in return.

"Developed affinities can never compare to the power of natural ones without excessive training," lectured Kakashi, turning his entire body towards the boy. "And you have a developed affinity for yin chakra, which can outdo the Sharingan's capabilities if trained properly." Kirai hummed non-committedly, eliciting a sigh from his sensei. "Look…I understand your frustration with your heritage and the ramifications of it. I experienced a little bit of the same spite, but nowhere near to the degree that you did. And I was a genius, so I got away with it." He turned his singled eye back to the sky above. "But that does not excuse this behavior. If you hate her so much, get stronger. Excel where she did not and overshadow her best skills with your own enhanced ones." Kirai sat up, his eyes closed in thought.

"I guess it boils down to what we were taught in class: the tool does not make a shinobi strong. The shinobi makes a tool effective," he recited, getting a proud nod from a smiling Kakashi. Kirai stood up, a smile on his face. "Well then…let's get started. What can you teach me, Kakashi-sensei?" Kakashi nodded approvingly before pulling out a scroll and tossing it to Kirai. As the genin unrolled it, his teacher began to list its contents.

"There are five elemental techniques in there. I suggest trying to learn them all, and then focus on the two other elements that seem to be easiest to manipulate for now," he instructed, getting distracted nods as Kirai absorbed the document. "For Earth Release, you have the Double Suicide Decapitation Technique. It is one of my personal favorites but requires an extra technique." He tossed the boy a second scroll, which was snatched out of the air just as easily as the last. "That scroll contains five additional techniques. One is the Earth Gill Technique, which allows you to supplement the standard oxygen one needs to breathe with gases and other compounds released form the earth. There are also two genjutsu, a taijutsu technique, and a supplementary jutsu. We will work on the elemental ones during team training while the others should be mastered in your spare time." The boy nodded before Kakashi looked up at the sky. "We have some time today to work on two other elemental techniques besides Earth Release, so take your pick." The boy glanced through the contents quickly, assessing their worth and ease of use.

 _The Hiding in Mist Technique is a specialty of Kirigakure ninja. Users fill the air with mist and control its thickness with their chakra. Once the mists are thick enough that opponents cannot see, that in turn means they cannot manage much defense against the user. The mists can be created using water from the surroundings or users can create the mists themselves, which they exhale from their mouths. If the mists are made thick enough, they can cancel out the enhanced vision of the Sharingan. Sensors and Byakugan users can still see through the mists, however. Hand Seals: Ushi, Hebi, Hitsuji. Experienced users or those with a natural affinity for Water Release can also use the Seal of Confrontation as an alternative_

There was a lot of utility within that technique. Considering that he would be playing a support role for the time being, it made sense to choose an area effect technique. However, the one downside is that none of his team had specialized sensor capabilities outside of Kakashi, and even that would be diminished or even nullified depending on the mist's thickness. There were probably workarounds, though, so Kirai continued with his first technique chosen.

" _Lightning": Triple (or Lightning Triplet) is a basic Lightning Release technique. The user throws three lightning-infused shuriken at the opponent. The addition of lightning-natured chakra increases the lethality and cutting power of the weapons. No hand seals needed. Utilizes chakra flow._

This seemed to be a perfect fit for him. It utilized chakra flow to enhance weaponry, which was Kirai's forte. And, as the scroll said, it was a basic technique. If he could not learn it, he probably wouldn't be able to grasp any other common Lightning Release jutsu. Before confirming his choices, he quickly read through the other two choices.

 _Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique is a common jutsu in Konohagakure for almost any shinobi. The user kneads chakra in their body and turns it into fire, which they then expel from their mouth; the more chakra they use, the more flames that are produced. Sometimes the flames lack a distinct shape, being only a stream, but they often take the form of a giant orb that maintains its shape until hitting a target. Upon impact, the fireball is powerful enough to crater the ground and vaporize the surroundings. Against living targets, the fireball can cause extensive burns. Hand Seals: Hebi, Hitsuji, Saru, I, Uma, Tora._

While that sounded pretty awesome, Kirai would refrain from it for now. Mito already had quite a bit of proficiency with that specific technique. He didn't think it necessary that he should make it a priority over the other techniques. Also, it had a lot of hand seals in comparison to the others, so that was also something to consider. He re-focused as he read through the final technique.

 _Wind Release: Breakthrough is the parent to the much more popular Great Breakthrough. After gathering chakra in their stomach, the user expels it as a gust of wind. This technique is powerful enough to blow away everything within the user's immediate vicinity. This technique can also be used for supplementary purposes, such as creating a vortex of wind to save a falling ally. Hand Seals: Inu, Uma, Tori._

Kirai looked up at Kakashi. "Hiding in Mist and Lightning Triplet are my choices, sensei," he announced, getting a nod of approval. "Although, I was curious if all the other techniques have alternate hand seals that can be swapped out for longer strings." The jōnin shrugged before supplying an answer.

"Hand seals are just used to focus chakra more easily. Once you master a technique, hand seals really are not required, although it often increases the drain on your reserves," he noted, gaining a nod from his student before he clapped his hands to return their focus to the task at hand. "We will start with your natural affinity. The Double Suicide Decapitation Technique shifts your chakra into a polarizing state that repels and breaks down whatever it touches. If you focus it into your fingertips, you can easily dig through the earth. However, regulation of breathing and the strain of keeping a constant flow of chakra to your fingertips is often a difficulty for those with average or below-average reserves. That will obviously not be a problem for you, so we will just focus on the regulation of your breathing." The silver-haired shinobi walked up beside Kirai and put his left arm over his right with the latter rotated so that the underarm was turned upwards, his hands clenched into fists with the index and middle fingers extended, touching his wrists. "This is the hand seal. It allows you to easily channel chakra through the entirety of your body, speeding up the conversion of the gases." Kirai clumsily copied the movement, repeating the gesture several times until he was proficient enough in it.

"Now, you need to work on the continuous channeling of chakra through your body," continued Kakashi as he whizzed through hand signs. A large rock dome appeared with a small opening to act as an entrance. He motioned for Kirai to follow as they crouched through the low-hanging doorway. The walls were very close, causing Kirai to freeze up in shock before Kakashi placed a steadying hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Rai-kun. We are going to practice the Earth Gill Technique, so I need to simulate the conditions." The boy nodded stiffly before making the hand seal and allowing chakra to flow through his body. His eyebrows shot up as he felt the difference in speed. It was akin to comparing a bubbling brook to fast-moving rapids. Kakashi smirked at the boy's amazement. "Now, expel the chakra outwards. The key is to think of it like a vacuum, sucking in the air around you, and then releasing that vacuum. In essence, you are 'recycling' the chakra." The genin grunted before attempting what his sensei was describing. Suddenly, he felt his chest pulse. He dropped to his knees, immediately grabbing hold of the area.

"Sensei! It hurts!" he screamed as it intensified. The dome crumbled around him, leaving the two shinobi in the open air once more. The jōnin rushed to the boy's side and ripped off his running top, revealing an odd tattoo. It was set at an angle and was symmetrical in design, resembling a flaming snakehead if anything. The top half was orange while the bottom was black. It was expanding across the boy's chest like…a seal. Kakashi flared his chakra summoning three Anbu from the surrounding shadows.

"Tell Hokage-sama to get an operating room ready with our best fūinjutsu users, stat!" he clipped out, sending the squad away. He gingerly picked up the broad genin, slinging him over his shoulders before taking off towards the main part of Konoha. On the way, he was met by three medical-nin who assessed the child's health, forcing him to lessen his traveling speed. After he was cleared, they blurred away, allowing Kakashi to speed up once more after requesting that his other students and Anko be recalled to the hospital at once. _'Hold on, Kirai! Anko will kill me if you don't make it out of this alive!'_ He failed to notice a small garden snake disappear in a puff of smoke.

* * *

Mito and Naruto gaped at their sensei as he related the event to them. They had remembered the tattoo but never bothered to bring it up with their classmate after an altercation with Kiba. The feral clan heir had made a comment about it, but Kirai had reacted negatively by beating the boy into the ground effortlessly. From that day forward, there was always some tension between the two. Because of Kirai's casual destruction of the Inuzuka boy, who was one of the best taijutsu fighters in the class, second only to Naruto, everyone avoided the topic.

"So, his tattoo was some kind of weird fūinjutsu?!" Naruto shouted, getting a glare from the nearby nurses and doctors. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly at the non-verbal rebuke before lowering his decibel levels. "What was it sealing anyways?" Their sensei shrugged, unable to provide an answer. Before the two could ask any more questions, Kakashi was jerked away by several snakes…right into the face of one Mitarashi Anko. _And she was pissed._

"What. Happened," she grit out, glaring at the pale man. Mito idly wondered whether his complexion would permanently lighten with how often that was happening lately. Naruto, on the other hand, was snickering at his sensei, the almighty Copy-Nin Kakashi, who was stuttering towards an enrage kunoichi who was weaker, shorter, and less experienced than him. "If anything happens to my otouto…you're toast, Hatake." The stammering was silenced as Kakashi's face stretched out in a sly grin.

"Your otouto, huh?" he repeated, causing a blush to break out over the tokubetsu jōnin's face. Her eyes widened at the implications as the tables were turned with her now trying to defend herself against Kakashi's teasing. He waved her off. "Maa, maa, don't worry Anko-san. I am sure he will be most pleased to know his Anko-nee-chan cares for him so much." Her blush intensified, but the two genin gulped as their sensei was flung down the hall, much to the ire of the passing medical-nin.

"Stupid pervert," muttered the violette before she turned to Mito and Naruto, her blush slowly receding. She fixed the blonde with a stern gaze, causing the Uzumaki to gulp in fear. "If you ever follow in his footsteps, I will make your life a living hell." The jinchūriki nodded vigorously, eliciting an amused snort from his female teammate. He pinned her with a glare, which only served to deepen her amusement. Before she could get a word out, however, the door to Kirai's room swung open, revealing a haggard-looking kunoichi who bore a slight resemblance to Anko. Her purple hair was tied up in a hasty ponytail and slanted brown eyes matched crazy kunoichi's, but her ruby red lips and paler complexion denied any relation to the tanned snake mistress.

"All done, Anko-chan," she reported tiredly, causing the irate kunoichi to do a complete 180 in her attitude. She sped inside, causing the woman to sigh fondly before she looked down the hallway at a still-dazed Kakashi. "He is awake, sempai." The masked jōnin nodded aimlessly before staggering towards the doorway to get more information. The purple-haired beauty held out a clipboard to the elite ninja, rattling off its contents. "His seal was three-fold. First, it partly sealed his chakra, but not in the standard way. It was more of a thinning of his overall reserves as opposed to a removal of a complete portion of them. This would cause a lack of potency and some loss in control. The other two are actually quite unique. The second lessened his control and power over his earth affinity, which is probably why you saw his yin and earth elements appear simultaneously instead of in succession. And lastly, there was a storage of yin chakra that was injected into his system, raising his already-developed affinity for it." She took a deep breath, running her hair through her hair to undo the ties, allowing it to fall past her shoulders freely. "In the end, there are more benefits than consequences. His overall control should increase, along with the potency of his chakra. He will have an easier time with earth techniques and genjutsu as well. Lastly, he should gain a higher processing ability." Kakashi's eye flicked up from the report.

"The report says that there are two consequences," he noted, returning the clipboard to her. "First off, his control over his yang chakra will lessen, although the degree is unknown. This will throw off his taijutsu, physical conditioning, and even possibly stunt his growth." He closed his eye with a thoughtful hum. "That part can be easily rectified through conditioning and careful meal planning. However, the second one is what worries me." His eye reopened, hard and flinty. "His chakra may spiral out of control, destroying him from the inside out. He will be unable to continue as a shinobi and may experience side effects such as paralysis, partial or full body, loss of blood flow to limbs, which would require amputation, and, in the worst case, be bedridden for life." The two genin gawked at their sensei's words. Everything Kirai had worked for, all his aspirations…gone in a single moment. Naruto growled, gaining the attention of the three shinobi.

"Who would do something like this?! He's had it his whole life!" he bellowed, stomping into the room. His eyes flicked to a frowning Anko and a blank-faced Kirai. The recovering ninja had obviously heard his comments. Before Naruto could apologize, Kirai piped up in a monotone voice.

"It was given to me by my mother," he revealed, getting incredulous looks from everyone except Kakashi, who sighed quietly in realization. Kirai turned to look out the nearby window. "She abandoned the village with a black-market arms dealer and mercenary, leaving me in Tanzaku Quarters at an inn. The hunter-nin that were following her abandoned their mission and returned me to Konoha." The orangette turned back to the other occupants of the room. "Hokage-sama immediately put me in the orphanage, but the problem was that the matron was a retired kunoichi. My mother had been am Anbu who she had worked with, so when Sandaime-sama explained my heritage, she scorned me. Soon, as I grew older, it spread to nearly the entirety of the shinobi population and, through their influence and example, the civilian population. Even the clan and their heads looked at me with disgust every time they saw me." His eyes focused in on Mito, softening slightly.

"However, the Uchiha Clan was the only one that looked after me," enlightened Kirai, causing Mito's eyes to nearly shoot from their sockets. "Apparently, her Mito-chan's mother, Mikoto, was my mother's sensei. Whenever she saw struggling in the streets to get some food or clothing, she would bring me to the gates of the clan compound and let me talk with the guards there while she got them for me." He grit his teeth and choked back a sob. "And then… one night…I came to the gates, only to be met by a young man covered in blood with tears cascading down his face. He kept saying 'Tou-san…kaa-chan…imouto …I'm so sorry' over and over again. However, when he saw me, the tears immediately stopped. His eyes shifted into what I now know as the Sharingan, changing his image from that of a hurt child to a demonic killer. He began to give chase, and I was somehow able to escape his stumbling strikes but ran right into the compound. I saw the entire clan lying in ruins all around me, causing the realization to set in on what occurred. After that, everything went black. I only found out what happened the next day. And when I tried to tell everyone, they merely looked at me with scorn for suggesting a traitor could feel such emotions for those he killed and scarred." Everyone sighed sadly at the loss of innocence at such a young age, except for Mito. The reason for that was her focus on what the killer had said.

"Kirai…are you saying that…Itachi was crying over killing my parents and harming me?" she questioned in disbelief, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. She was once again the center of attention, everyone's gaze fixed on her shivering form. Kirai realized the issue and nodded hesitantly, causing the girl to start bawling her eyes out as she flung herself onto the bed, her head landing on the occupant's chest. Shock was etched onto his face, mirroring the expression of the others in the room as the Uchiha heiress continued to release six years of pent-up emotions in a single, explosive moment. Kirai merely sighed fondly before rubbing her back consolingly. "That means…he didn't really want to kill us. He… needed to." Her hiccupping speech caused Anko to snap her head up to a stoic Kakashi, who merely shook his head. Naruto noticed, making a note to talk to his jiji about it later on. For now, he just clapped his hands together.

"I guess we all have something in common then," he chirped, gaining the attention of his two teammates and sensei. He began to point to each person as he talked about them. "Sensei lost his father because he put teammates before the mission, causing him to be ostracized. Mito-chan has been looked down upon by shinobi because of her clan's infamy and doted on by civilians. I'm looked down upon by everyone because of…a burden that I carry. But Kirai…he has it the worst of all. He didn't have anyone for most of his life…but he does now, and so do we." He swept his arm around the room. "We aren't just a team, but a family. We help each other where they are weak and accept help from them where they are strong. We carry them when they can no longer walk and watch their backs when they do the same. At least…that is what jiji says." A wizened chuckle filled the room, garnering everyone's attention as the speaker stepped in.

"Well said, Naruto-kun," praised the Hokage as smiled down at his surrogate grandson before focusing on a red-eyed Mito (and it wasn't because of the Sharingan). "Mito-chan…while I am not yet able to tell you everything about that night, let me just say that you are correct in your assumptions and observations about Itachi-kun. Your brother did not want to do it, but their extenuating circumstances." She nodded slowly before laying her head back down on Kirai's chest, causing him to blush at the closeness of his crush. "And Kirai…" The boy returned his gaze to the Hokage, only to nearly fall out of his bed as the leader of the strongest shinobi village _bowed down to him_. "I have failed you, my boy. I allowed myself to get caught up in watching out for the other two, leaving you at the mercy of the foolish denizens of this village. I know that you have not given your entire story, as there are very sensitive parts to it." Kirai nodded hesitantly, getting looks from his teammates.

"However…" continued the Hokage as he rose to his feet. "That is the exact reason I have such high expectations for this team. You all can understand each other to some degree. Mito-chan had a family but lost it. Naruto-kun never knew his but found some. Kirai never had any and has only just now gained one. Because of your hardships, you have become that much stronger as not only people but as shinobi." His eyes crinkled happily as he smiled. "I look forward with great anticipation to the feats you will one day accomplish." They all blushed at the praise, smiles breaking out over their youthful faces. Naruto turned back to his teammates before running forward and grabbing their hands.

"Well, let's go! No time to waste!" he announced, yanking the two off of the bed. Kirai grunted in pain while Mito yelped before shouting at her blonde teammate as he sped off with them in tow. Kakashi sighed as Anko quickly gave chase, shouting at the Uzumaki for hurting her otouto. The silver-haired cyclops saluted the Hokage before disappearing a swirl of leaves. The elderly Sarutobi blinked several times before letting loose a hearty chuckle at his underlings' exuberance. _'One day…they will be the greatest team and shinobi to ever grace this world. With their friendships, none will stand before them for long.'_ With those final thoughts, he slowly walked back to his office to continue watching over his own family—the village.

* * *

 **Looks like our favorite orange-haired shinobi has gotten a major power boost. However, it came at a cost. From here on out, I will really be focusing on Kirai, as this is an OC-centric story. However, there may be some more chapters just devoted to the other members of Team 7 and even other important characters that will come up.**

 **With that out of the way, here are the poll standings for Kirai's pairing:**

 **~Shizuka (6)**

 **~Fu (4)**

 **~Ameno/Hana (2)**

 **~Tayuya (1)**

 **Make sure to follow the forum link for Vault of Konohagakure to place your vote if you haven't already. Until next time!**

 **~Sir Zesto**


	8. Fear

**I'M ALIVE! This wait has been far too long. Between being in the mountains for two weeks, having to deal with work when I came back, and all sorts of unexpected events, I have not had nearly enough time to work on this. But...I am back. This chapter was hard to start, but enjoyable to finish. Kirai grows even more here, but don't worry. He will not be getting overpowered for a while. I just want to lay a foundation. Also, I always felt like Sasuke and Naruto focused too much on certain skills like the Rasengan and the Chidori/Sharingan. Here is a quick explanation for Kirai.**

 **He is made to balance them out. He is going to be the traditional shinobi, skilled in several arts, but only mastering a few. He will be far more diverse, but still have specializations. Obviously, Mito and Naruto will be far different from their canon characters and have more jutsu and skills. And yet, they will stay relatively similar. Kirai balances them out with his...balance. In essence, he will start to become Kakashi's true pupil in that, just like the legendary Hatake, he will learn several arts and jutsu of all kinds and work tirelessly to master them all.**

 **With that out of the way, a quick note: poll standings at the bottom. Look after. Vote soon. I caveman. Read now!**

* * *

 **Disclaimer: Caveman Zesto own nothing. He just small bug in big world. Want to be butterfly, but can't fly. Maybe one day...be butterfly.**

* * *

 **Fear**

Naruto glared at the Hokage from his place next to Kirai and Mito. He had finally changed his wardrobe after the continuous pestering from Mito and Kakashi with an occasional comment from Kirai. He wore a black haori with stylized orange markings woven throughout the fabric, culminating in a grinning monkey head on the back. Under this, he wore a dark green turtleneck with detachable sleeves at both the elbows and shoulders for differing climates. He wore standard Anbu pants that were tucked into black steel-toed boots with insulated soles that allowed for stealth. All in all, he cut a very imposing figure, which is why Hiruzen was only just barely holding back a wince when faced with the look he was currently being pinned with.

"Hokage-sama," bit out the blond genin, causing the wince to finally show on the powerful shinobi's face. "We have completed nearly twice the amount of required D-Rank missions for a C-Rank. We have completed them all beyond the necessary requirements, making our report card the best out of Konoha's three rookie teams. So…why do you refuse to give us a higher-ranked mission?! And don't blame it on sensei! He already told us that he was fine with it!" Hiruzen's mouth audibly clicked shut before he glared at Kakashi, who seemed to be ignoring the entire situation as he read his beloved book. The masked jōnin glanced up when he felt someone's eyes on him, causing him to rub the back of his head sheepishly. Before he could chide his exuberant pupil, someone unexpected piped up.

"I agree with the baka, Hokage-sama," intoned Mito, her face irritated. "We have been training vigorously and have performed admirably in all of our assigned tasks. There is no logical reason why we have been held back from higher-ranked missions, especially considering the infamy and abilities of all members included within this unit." The bearded leader pulled out his tobacco pipe and measured out the necessary leaves, igniting it subconsciously with his fire mastery. He began to puff away as he stared at each of the members individually. However, Kirai must have released how his gaze lingered because the boy's face fell. Before the Hokage could say anything, the orangette spoke.

"It's because my newly-discovered… condition makes me a risk to the team in outside missions," he realized somberly, his demeanor resigned, but self-loathing. Kakashi stowed his book, his one-eyed stare silently accusing his leader for his careless words. Kirai looked up at the Hokage, gaze steely. "Hokage-sama, is there anyway Team 7 can be given another teammate while I stay back in Konoha?" Naruto opened his mouth to derail that train of thought, but Kakashi slapped a gloved hand over his mouth, his face neutral. Hiruzen, on the other hand, went from shocked to proud to thoughtful in the span of a few seconds before he began stroking his short goatee in consideration.

"There is a young woman who is in med-nin training that could easily fill your spot, Kirai-kun," mused the elderly shinobi as continued to puff away on his pipe. "Her name is Haruno Sakura, and I believe she dropped out of the shinobi program after a conversation with one of her classmates. It emboldened her while also helping her discover her innate talents." He gave a sly grin when he noticed the sheepish grin on Kirai's face. "Now… I wonder who could have done such a thing?" The orangette chuckled nervously as the Hokage readopted his thoughtful expression. "Nonetheless, I am willing to grant this request on one condition." Kirai perked up along with his team as Hiruzen leaned forward, steepling his fingers in front of his eyes. "You must find some way to get these abilities under control so you _are_ able to take outside missions in the future. I cannot continually break up your team to allow them to take higher-ranked missions. In fact, I will keep you on an emergency call in case something goes wrong, agreed?" The boy nodded eagerly before bowing to the Hokage and his teammates. He sprinted out the door and flew down the stairs, startling the chūnin secretary in the process. After he exited the Academy building, he leaped onto the rooftops and quickly made his way to Arashi Dango. There, he found his intended target munching away on the restaurant's namesake with a few of her friends.

"Oi, Anko-nee!" he bellowed, causing the spiky-haired woman to whirl around in her seat, shock on her face. Her friends gaped in astonishment at the blatant reference to their sadistic friend. However, what truly shocked them was when Anko blurred away before returning with the boy held in a tight embrace, his face pressed into her stomach as the rest of his body flopped around helplessly.

"Rai-kun! Just the genin I wanted to see!" squealed the elite shinobi, ignoring her shell-shocked friends as she released her breathless victim. She pinned the gasping genin with a fond smile. "I was just talking about you with my drinking buddies!" Kirai took a final gulp of air before properly seating himself on a stool next to Anko. His icy orbs flicked over each individual, assessing them. The first was a gorgeous woman who could have passed for Anko's sister. She wore the standard Anbu gear, a katana lashed across her shoulder in a sheath. Her face was still set in shock, brown eyes wide and ruby lips slightly parted in amazement. He turned his gaze to the man sitting next to her, barely suppressing a wince at his sickly state. Bags hung from beneath his tired eyes, his entire face pale from whatever illness gripped him. He wore a bandana that only partially kept his shoulder-length hair bundled up. He merely had a raised eyebrow at this point, unlike the remainder of his companions.

The third was a massive bear of a man with scars littering his face. He wore a bandana similar to the ill man next to him, but no hair was visible, leading Kirai to believe he was bald. He wore a black trench coat over a darker variant of the T&I (Torture and Intelligence) division uniform. His angry eyes locked on to Kirai, forcing the genin to avert his gaze quickly. Lastly, the genin's eyes landed on the youngest person in the group, a beautiful Inuzuka woman. Her brown hair whipped around as she shook away her shock, her eyes reopening to reveal equally brown eyes that shone with barely restrained mischief. She wore a med-nin coat that was currently open, revealing the official chūnin uniform.

"Why, Anko-chan," purred the feral girl, causing the grinning woman to pale. She knew that tone and was wishing she was anywhere but here at the moment. "You never told us you had a sibling." Her eyes had never left Kirai, even as she slipped gracefully out of her seat and strode toward the confused boy. "Hello, _Rai-kun_. My name is Inuzuka Hana, current heiress of the Inuzuka Clan." She stepped to the side, revealing a trio of panting ninken. "And these are my babies: the Haimaru Triplets. Say hello, boys!" The two bigger ones barked quietly while the smallest leaped at Kirai, nearly bowling the tall boy over. Thanks to his large stature though, Kirai merely smiled and began to pet the dog gently, getting satisfied sounds in response. Soon, the ninken was stretched out across Kirai's lap, snoozing away. Everyone stared at the odd spectacle, including a flabbergasted Hana. "Wow…not even kaa-san was able to tame him like that." She moved her gaze to a smug Anko, who flashed her young friend a peace sign.

"Yup. My otōto is awesome like that," bragged the tokubetsu jōnin, turning a fond look to her self-proclaimed brother, who was now beset by all three of Hana's ninken. "He has a knack for the more subtle and overlooked shinobi arts such as bukijutsu. He trains until he gains proficiency in whatever techniques he has been given. However, he also makes sure to never take on new techniques until he has nearly mastered the previous ones. For example, he has truly mastered the Academy Three, apart from the clone technique, the Shadow Clone Technique, Haze Clone Technique, and many more. Right now, I think he is working on several that Kakashi has given him while mastering those he learned during the month we had together." She turned around to face Kirai, who had returned his attention to the conversation while alternately petting the very satisfied Haimaru Triplets. "Speaking of which, why are you here, Rai-kun? Shouldn't you be with your team?" Kirai's peaceful expression quickly shifted into a mildly sad one.

"Hokage-sama does not want me to be outside the village after my…incident," he explained, fiddling with his thumbs. "Therefore, he substituted a medic-in-training, Haruno Sakura, so that Team 7 could take on a C-Rank mission. I am to stay behind as emergency reserves, training to get my seal under control. Do you know anyone who could help me with that?" All eyes quickly turned to the Anbu at the table, who chuckled nervously at the attention. She quickly composed herself and smiled gently at the young man.

"I have some practice in fūinjutsu," she admitted. "My name is Uzuki Yūgao. I have been a friend of Anko's since the Academy." Kirai hummed in thought before the large, scarred man rose to his feet, staring down at the fresh genin. He seemed to glide across the floor as he made his way towards Kirai, never taking his eyes off the now sweating genin. When he reached the stool, the two merely continued to stare. Finally, the bandana-wearing shinobi grinned sadistically and spoke.

"The name's Morino Ibiki, gaki," he rumbled, thrusting his leathery mitt out for a firm handshake that left Kirai wincing. "Believe it or not, I have quite a bit of experience in fūinjutsu. As the head interrogator, it is necessary to have more than just a basic knowledge of how seals work in case prisoners have them. They could contain secrets, cargo, or even a concealed means of escape." He glanced over his shoulder, locking eyes with Yūgao. "You can take him when I am unavailable, especially since having a grounding in the basics would be good for him." The purple haired Anbu nodded in agreement before a series of sickly coughs came from the man next to her.

"Kirai-san, I also would be more than willing to assist you," monotoned the ailing man, his tired eyes alight with life. "I am Gekkō Hayate, the premier swordsman of Konoha. I am also well-versed in the usage of kunai, shuriken, and even senbon. If you would like, I can assist in refining your technique and, when you are ready to learn more, teaching you some of mine." The boy nodded eagerly before he leaped off the stool, ignoring the yelps and whines from the ninken. He bowed low at the waist.

"Thank you so much for your generosity, Uzuki-san, Gekkō-san, and Morino-san," he thanked gratefully, standing upright from his bent position. "I hope that I will not disappoint." All three of his new teachers smirked evilly as they converged on the unknowing genin, grabbing him and whisking him away in a swirl of leaves. Anko gaped at the spot before growling in anger, getting a giggle out of her only remaining companion.

"If they hurt him more than necessary…Ibiki-kun will be learning some of my new interrogation and torture techniques firsthand," promised the snake mistress as she polished off the remaining dumplings. She swiveled around to face a grinning Hana, pointing a single skewer at her friend. "And if you utter even one more joke, Hana-chan, Iruka-kun will know about his secret admirer faster than I could eat an entire order of dango." The Inuzuka simultaneously blushed and paled, raising her hands in surrender. Duly sated for the moment, Anko rose from her seat and ran out of the shop to find her adopted sibling to ensure his health was not at stake. As she left, Hana rolled her eyes. _'And people wonder why we hang out with her. You really are not as cold as they say, are you, Anko-chan?'_ With that final thought, Hana whistled for her partners before digging into her own plate of food, occasionally passing the dogs a morsel every now and then.

* * *

Kirai fell to a knee, his hachiwari held loosely in his shaking fists. His new senseis were even harder taskmasters than Anko, which he never thought would be possible. Yūgao had drilled him mercilessly on the basic seals and the essentials of fūinjutsu to the point where he could draw any kind of basic and intermediate level storage seal in seconds without even looking. Ibiki had taken it one step farther, cramming as much knowledge as he could into the poor boy's head, rounding out the basic knowledge of seals with advanced and complex knowledge of arrays and how to seal them. While Kirai only gained a few actual techniques, his knowledge was exemplary.

However, what truly pushed him was Hayate's sadistic training regimen. After discovering that the boy wielded two hachiwari, the swordsman made it his personal mission to create a kenjutsu style for the young boy. And so, after cramming his head full of arrays and seal theory, Kirai moved onto to intense workouts, repetitive katas, and muscle memory. All in all, it was a painfully productive time that he had…enjoyed over the past two weeks. Currently, he was standing across from his three sensei, two of which were smiling proudly at their determined pupil. The third figure just held his angry stare, his scarred face blank as he watched Kirai rise from his brief respite.

"Gotta say, gaki…you impressed the hell out of me," praised Ibiki, finally allowing a small smirk to crack his craggy visage. "You took everything I threw at you and kept asking for more. Even Hayate is impressed with your work ethic, which is a pretty rare reaction to get from the bag of bones." Yūgao pinned the head interrogator with a vicious glare, quashing the bigger man's mirth. Hayate stepped forward as Kirai sealed his hachiwari into the arrays in his gloves. He clasped the boy's shoulder with his weathered hand, nodding firmly.

"Ibiki is right, Kirai-kun," agreed the master swordsman. "Your drive to excel far surpasses most shinobi I have met and even those I have worked with. You will do great things when you reach your prime." A shrill cry drew the gazes of the shinobi quartet to the skies where a jet-black hawk lazily hovered on the air currents. Kirai's eyes flew open as he hastily bowed to each of his sensei before speeding off. He quickly ran through the various rankings of message hawks to ensure that he had correctly gauged the situation. A brown hawk was a summon for the elite shinobi of the village—tokubetsu jōnin to Anbu captains. A yellow hawk was a call for all village leaders, such as clan heads and department leaders. The red hawk was for the entirety of the shinobi force and was usually only used in times of war or invasion. Lastly, the jet-black hawk signified that a mission's parameters had just been changed drastically and backup was needed. Kirai flew into the Academy, hurtling towards the mission desk at insane speeds. He threw open the door and took a moment to catch his breath before snapping to attention. The Hokage stared at him gravely before sighing.

"Very well," he sighed in resignation before adopting a businesslike face and tone. "Genin Kirai, this mission is A-Rank, potentially borderline S-Rank. Hatake Kakashi, jōnin sensei of Team 7, encountered high-level rogue ninja during his C-Rank escort mission of the bridge builder from Nami, Tazuna. He and his team were first ambushed by the Demon Brothers, Gōzu and Meizu. These two are former chūnin level shinobi of Kirigakure and their excellent teamwork was at one time compared to that of the late Gold and Silver Brothers of Kumogakure. After Team 7 subdued them, it was discovered they were being led by a former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Momochi Zabuza. Hatake Kakashi nearly defeated him but was intercepted by Zabuza's accomplice, an unknown shinobi wearing the mask of a hunter-nin under the age of sixteen. Your mission is to make haste to Nami no Kuni and provide Team 7 with back-up. Momochi Zabuza is known to have many accomplices who could aid him in attacking once more. However, you have at least a week to reach the country as Zabuza was heavily injured in his fight with Kakashi. You will adopt protocol alpha, taking only minimal rests and journeying to the mission location at the highest possible speeds. Do you accept this assignment?" Kirai nodded once before taking the scroll handed to him by the Hokage, sealing it into an array on his jacket.

"Do not worry, Hokage-sama," he assured the leader, who raised an eyebrow at the ease with which the genin used fūinjutsu. "I have trained intensely for the last two weeks and have at least an intermediate level of knowledge in fūinjutsu. I will be able to contain my seal should it act up again." The Hokage nodded curtly before dismissing the boy. Kirai activated his body flicker, vanishing in a swirl of leaves as he sped towards the barracks to quickly restock before heading out. He said a quick prayer to whatever Kami was listening that his team would be safe when he arrived.

* * *

Mito groaned as she slumped into her chair tiredly. Kakashi-sensei had been working them into the ground for the past four days, preparing for the return of Zabuza and his unknown accomplice. He had been focusing on getting Sakura up to speed on the basics, leaving two shadow clones for Mito and Naruto to work on refining their techniques. The blonde had been using his shadow clones to master several jutsu while she toiled away with her newly obtained chokutō. When she had started training with Tora-sensei, she discovered just how much she loved working with a blade. Not only that, but it was apparently a preferred weapon of the Uchiha Clan, a close second to the kusarigama. She had been working on channeling her fire and lightning chakra through the blade. Unfortunately, she had only made headway on the fire, which bestowed her blade the ability to fire off flaming chakra discs and allowed her to begin working on a jutsu she didn't even know existed—Uchiha Style: Dance of the Sun Halo.

The technique was usually done by breathing fire onto a tantō before unleashing a wide wave of fire at the opponent as opposed to the smaller, shuriken-like discs Mito could currently release. However, because of her training in the fire element and channeling the chakra into the blade itself, Kakashi had told his student that she could potentially bring it to the intended form of a small whirlwind of fire. The creator of the technique, Uchiha Taka, had been trying to recreate Uchiha Madara's infamous gunbai techniques that involved wind and fire put together, creating massive, fiery gales that could combat the Shodaime's strongest Wood Release techniques. However, Mito wanted to focus on lightning since it had more of the effect she was looking for. Instead of a whipping, slashing force, the lightning would augment the piercing ability of the blade and utilize the electricity to paralyze or destroy the target's nervous system, making it deadlier to unwary opponents than fiery discs or waves. And yet…all of this was currently out of her reach until she mastered the training exercises for both elements.

The first stage of each element's training involved the evoking of different reactions from a leaf that resembled how most techniques within that element would affect the targets. For example, the first stage of fire training was to instantly light a leaf on fire before slowly bringing the fire back under control before it could burn the entire leaf. The first half was the power, which Mito could do with ease. The tricky second half required a level of control that the kunoichi was slowly making her way towards but had not quite mastered yet. The lightning training was even more difficult, involving the decimation of a medium-sized rock into small chunks. Once again, while power was needed to break the rock, control needed to be exercised to keep the rock from merely turning into dust. Mito had only gotten the rock to crack halfway through so far and her lack of progress was annoying her to no end.

"Ugh…" moaned Naruto as he flopped down next to his teammate, Sakura healing him from a nasty explosion from a failed jutsu. "The Clone Great Explosion is annoying the hell out of me. How am I supposed to master a jutsu that continuously blows me to kingdom come?!" Mito smirked at the irate shinobi while Sakura giggled at Naruto's adorable pout and glare. He perked up at the sound of someone knocking at the door, leaping to his feet. "Don't worry, Tsunami-san! I've got it!" He wrenched on the knob, flinging the door open to reveal a panting townsperson. The genin raised an eyebrow. "Everything okay there, mister?" The man quickly barged inside, eyes wide. After he took in his surroundings, he kicked the door closed, much to Naruto's ire.

"Shut up, idiot!" hissed the man as he was enveloped in a plume of smoke. Kirai stepped out of it, allowing the excess chakra to fade into the air. He rubbed his head in irritation as his two teammates leapt to their feet, former tiredness forgotten at the arrival of a new ally. "Geez, Naruto. You really need to learn how to be subtle." The blonde laugh deviously before he was pushed out of the way by a frowning Mito. Her slate-colored eyes roamed Kirai's form, noting the slight differences in posture and muscle definition. She smirked at him, nodding approvingly.

"Not too bad, Kirai. You've obviously been training," she noted, getting a curt nod from the lightly blushing teen. She jerked her head to the nearby staircase. "Sensei is up there. Dinner will be ready soon." Kirai nodded, his blush fading away as he quickly climbed the steps, reaching a hallway with four doors. The closest one was wide open, so he entered unannounced, barely dodging the kunai that almost gave him the shortest haircut of his life. He pinned his sheepish sensei with a flat stare, crossing his arms expectantly as he appraised Kakashi's condition. A pair of crutches laid next to the sleeping mat and faint bags hung from the jōnin's eyes. His headband had been pushed up, revealing a scarred eye that was currently closed. The gravity-defying hair that was so unique to the infamous shinobi drooped slightly. _'How is that even possible?'_ Kirai shook away the thoughts that threatened to lead him down a path that would undoubtedly waste his time, focusing on his sensei as he began to speak.

"Ah, Kirai-kun!" he chirped happily, sitting up a little straighter. "How wonderful to see you! I assume Hokage-sama got my message then." Kirai nodded as he stepped closer to get his sensei's most recent version of the events. The silver-haired man sighed deeply before turning solemn. "Zabuza's strength is far below than his peak as he was once seen as a greater threat than Hoshigaki Kisame, one of the most infamous S-Rank shinobi of our time. His ninjutsu prowess has waned considerably, denoting a reliance on his sword, taijutsu, and Hiding in the Mist Technique. Did you finish that jutsu perchance?" The genin shook his head, eliciting another sigh from Kakashi. "Well, I guess this will be a good demonstration of it if nothing else. That aside, his known partner specializes in stealth, senbon, and ice jutsu. It seems to be a kekkei genkai as opposed to the style used by the Land of Snow from the jutsu I have seen." Kirai's brain ran a mile a minute as he took in this new information. Not only were they fighting Momochi Zabuza, the former leader of the Seven Ninja Swordsman of the Mist and candidate for Yondaime Mizukage, but there was an unknown shinobi with a unique elemental kekkei genkai and potential allies that would remain unknown until the next confrontation, which should be happening in the next day or two.

"So…we are fighting the Demon of Kirigakure, his unnamed partner with an ice kekkei genkai, and any number of other allies that could show up," listed off the genin as he attempted to quash the bubbling apprehension that threatened to take over his rational thought processes. "How exactly am I supposed to help against that?" Kakashi closed his open eye, humming in thought as he pondered the question. When it opened again, it glinted seriously as he laid out his plan for the genin.

"Naruto has been working himself into the ground for the last week, so he will probably be laid up from exhaustion by the time we actually leave for the bridge," explained the veteran shinobi. "This means that you will take his spot in the squad when we go to guard Tazuna at the bridge. In the meantime, I have one more technique I want you to add to your arsenal." Kakashi slowly rose from his futon with little difficulty. He was quite pleased that Sakura had been so diligent in her studies as it now allowed her to speed up his difficulty, turning a week-long rest period into a mere four days. He sauntered out, Kirai close on his heels. They passed through the kitchen where Sakura was chatting animatedly with Tazuna's granddaughter. The woman halted the conversation when she saw Kirai walking by.

"Ah! You must be Kirai-kun!" she guessed, smiling brightly at the boy's affirming nod. "Thank you so much for coming to help my grandfather. I am always worried for him, so the more help the better." Kirai nodded once more before turning back to his sensei and walking outside to prepare for the coming storm. However, what neither of them noticed was the small figure that watched them go with an irritated look on its face before it vanished around the stairwell corner.

* * *

Kakashi, Mito, Sakura, Kirai, and Tazuna all slowly walked towards the bridge, noting the thickened fog. They all tensed in preparation of what was to come. Naruto had indeed worn himself to the bone over the last two days and collapsed from chakra exhaustion. He was currently sleeping at the house, watched over by Kakashi's shadow clone to ensure Tazuna's family would be alright. For now, though, the jōnin sensei's full focus was on the looming shadow of the bridge. Once they reached it, Tazuna gasped in horror. Still forms littered the surface of the stone construct, wreathed in chakra-thickened mist.

"A…demon…" groaned out the closest one, raising his head to meet Tazuna's shaky gaze. "It was a demon…and there was…a monster…So cold!" He suddenly screamed as he was thrown over the side by some unseen force, the rest of the bodies quickly following. Kirai created a squad of shadow clones who quickly followed to ensure their survival. Kakashi nodded approvingly before moving his headband up to reveal his scarred eye. He glanced at Kirai, who gulped in apprehension as he remembered the part he needed to play.

 _Flashback_

" _Alright, Rai-kun, this technique is going to help us combat Zabuza's preferred style of fighting: Silent Killing," monotoned Kakashi, whipping out his beloved book. Kirai rolled his eyes but kept his focus on his sensei to ensure that he didn't miss anything important. "This technique was created by a fellow Konoha shinobi, Sarutobi Asuma. Watch closely. The seals are_ _Mi, Ne, Mi, Tora." The jōnin slowly went through each seal before cupping his hand in front of his mouth and spewing out a murky cloud of ash that wafted over the field, enveloping the nearby trees. The man coughed lightly before turning to his awed student. "Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning can be used in both as an area-effect and offensive technique. When used offensively, you create a spark with a fire jutsu or a flint that is placed between your teeth. The Fire Starter Technique Anko-san taught you should be sufficient." Kakashi created a small orb of flames in his hand and tossed it at the cloud of thick smoke, instantly morphing it into a roaring blaze that was quickly doused by a wave of water that crashed over it, soaking a thoroughly annoyed Kirai. The genin leveled a glare at the jōnin, who smiled cheekily before turning serious once more._

" _This jutsu is very dangerous to not only the user and the target for the obvious reasons, but also everyone around them," Kakashi warned, pointing at Kirai with a single finger. "You must always remain in control of your emotions, for one spark is all it takes to bring the whole jutsu crashing down on top of you—literally and figuratively." Kirai swallowed, the weight and importance of this technique hitting him like an Akimichi's war hammer. His sensei nodded approvingly before motioning to the singed trees. "Good. Let's practice." And so, Kirai whipped through the seals before clenching his stomach as he spewed forth a black cloud much like his sensei's…except that it was roughly the size of his head. He facefaulted through it, his sensei leaning against a tree to contain his mirth. With that to motivate him, Kirai resolved to get this technique down before the end of the day._

 _Flashback End_

Kirai snapped out of his reminiscence as three figures slowly emerged from the porridge-like fog. The first figure has his lower face obscured by a mask of bandages, giving him a mummified look. He had foregone the shirtless look his sensei had described to him, adopting an older, looser version of the Anbu uniform. His forearms and legs were covered by warmers, and his headband lay askew on his head. His beady eyes locked on to Kirai before his mask twitched in mirth.

"Oh, look," he sneered, motioning flippantly to the orange-haired boy. "Another child has come to play shinobi with the big, bad demon. Maybe this one will be a challenge, eh, Haku?" A mask appeared out of the mist, followed by a slight figure. Long hair was tied up in a traditional bun underneath a white holder, two bangs falling on either side of the mask. The now-named Haku wore a green haori over the traditional Kiri shinobi uniform with a flowing sash that kept it in place. All in all, it was a very feminine look that confused Kirai. _'I thought they said the hunter-nin was a boy. No guy would ever be caught dead wearing something that girly!'_ As Kirai continued to internally struggle with the gender of his opponent, the boy/girl/shinobi answered his partner.

"He does seem slightly more competent," Haku observed quietly, reaching into a pouch behind him before it reappeared with several senbon sticking out threateningly. "But I want the kunoichi from before." An insane cackle broke through the quiet as a hooded figure appeared next to Haku, a crazed grin visible on their face. When they raised their head, Kakashi's open eye widened in fear. The newest opponent was another member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, which put this far out of his students' league. He glanced over to Kirai, who had begun to quake in fear at the sight of the newcomer, his hands clenched on his hachiwari until his knuckles were stark white.

"Hahaha! You always find the most amusing opponents, Zabuza-kun!" the hooded figure cheered before he threw off his hair, green hair flaring wildly out behind him. "My name is Kurosuki Raiga…and this bridge will be your grave!" He sped forward, two jagged blades jutting out suddenly from his robe's wide sleeves. Kirai leaped in front of his team, adopting a deep stance and crossing his blades. A loud clang echoed through the fog as Raiga slammed into the broad genin. They fought for dominance, Raiga's crazed grin widening. "Ohoh! You were right, Haku-kun! This one is a fighter! But…he's out of his league!" The insane man wrenched one of his swords down, knocking Kirai's away, before bringing the second down to bear upon the young genin, slashing him from shoulder to hip.

"KIRAI!" roared Mito as she sped forward, only to be intercepted by the masked visage of Haku. She growled before engaging the senbon-wielding shinobi in taijutsu, battering them back with ease before the nin finally lay at Zabuza's feet, the muscular swordsmen raising an eyebrow at the feat of speed and strength. He glanced up at Raiga's confused cry, grinning at the plume of smoke that enveloped him before the imbecile leaped back to his original position.

"You two need to step it up," warned the spiky-haired shinobi as he hefted his blade off his back and onto his shoulder. His eyes locked with Kakashi's, noting that the Sharingan had appeared once again. "These genin have been trained by Sharingan Kakashi. They will not be easy prey." He faded into the mist with the other two, a raspy chuckle chilling Tazuna and the three genin to the bone. Kirai had blurred next to his sensei, glancing up to get confirmation. With a nod, Kakashi pulled Mito and Sakura back into him, pushing Tazuna behind him, as Kirai stepped out, methodically going through the hand sequence.

"Mi, Ne, Mi, Tora…" he monotoned before bringing his hand to his mouth, finishing the technique in his head. _'_ _Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning!_ _'_ A thin stream of smoky ash flew from the boy's mouth as he began to spin on the balls of his feet, forcing Kakashi and his wards to duck as the cloud began to mix with the mist into a rancid soup. Kirai fell to his knee, breathing heavily from the strain of the high-levelled technique. He coughed violently as Sakura rushed over to him to rejuvenate him. She slid out a chakra tag from her pouch and slapped it onto his chest, refilling his reserves. Sakura then began to run glowing hands over the boy's throat and stomach to heal any burns and remove any residue from the harmful technique.

"What is this?!" Raiga roared as he found himself encapsulated in a murky cloud of ash. It began to cling to his robe, weighing him down. "How does a genin know such a high-level technique?" A foot plowed into his gut, sending him hurtling into the small clearing that the Konoha contingent stood in. He staggered to his feet, pinning his attacker with a scathing glare. Mito met it with one of her own, expertly twirling a kunai in her hand. Kakashi stepped forward, Sharingan locked on the man who dared to attack his students.

"My team is the best in all of Konoha," he stated, motioning to each individual member as he named them. "Mito is the kunoichi of the year, trained in all areas of the shinobi arts. Sakura is our best medic-in-training, focused on her studies. Naruto is the rookie of the year, taught by the Sandaime Hokage himself. And Kirai…he was the dead-last. Instead of pouting about it, he worked his tail off to become the stellar genin he is today. You have no chance." Raiga smirked before nodding into the smoke. Kakashi whipped around, only to duck under the sweeping blow from Zabuza's cleaver. Haku leaped over both of them, kicking Mito into the ash cloud and following her in. Raiga regained his composure, smirking at a now-sweating Kirai. They both brandished their twin swords as they eyed each other, one with wariness and the other with glee. Suddenly, Raiga's eyes widened and a burst of evil intent enveloped Kirai, causing him to stumble and fall to one knee. _'What intense KI! How powerful is he to throw around such malice so casually?!'_ As Kirai glanced up into the burning, insane eyes of his attacker, he felt fear for the first time since coming to Nami no Kuni as twin swords screamed towards him, Sakura's distant scream freezing his blood.

* * *

 **Yay, cliffhanger! I have a love-hate relationship with these, as most of you probably do. Thankfully for you guys, instead of waiting a year to see what happens, you only have to wait a month! *cheers happily* Anyway, that aside, here are the poll standings:**

 **~Shizuka (7)**

 **~Fu (4)**

 **~Ameno/Hana (2)**

 **~Tayuya (1)**

 **After the tenth chapter, I will be whittling it down to only three options, so get your votes in and hope your favorite gets into one of those spots. The poll is currently on my profile at the top, but you only get one vote. While I will be considering the votes in the reviews, I will not be counting them in the long run. And ultimately, the final decision is up to me. I am just getting a feel for what you guys want.**

 **Alright, that's it! Until next time!**

 **~Sir Zesto**


	9. Growth

**A/N: I am alive. My collarbone is basically healed. What happened is it actually snapped off from my shoulder and farther up the bone. Basically, I had a three-inch gap in my clavicle because it also broke near my neck and the floating chunk of bone moved _up_ into my neck area, creating a bump. I could have gotten surgery, but I didn't want a plate screwed into my shoulder for the rest of my days, so I let it heal naturally. I have full range-of-motion back, but haven't finished PT to get the strength back.**

 **Back to relevant subjects, I had a review submitted from 98 suggesting I am giving Mito, Naruto, and Kirai too many techniques too fast and I have them using shadow clones to master them. First, it has been noted in the series that Naruto was a battle genius, which falls into techniques as well. He can make a ton of shadow clones and we see him using this method in Shippuden. I realize how used it is, but that is because it makes sense. He's been living with the Sandaime since around six or so, so that makes him even stronger. Sasuke (Mito) was a noted genius in the series, so that was already a given. Kirai isn't as strong, and he is just getting power-ups now. He hasn't mastered anything yet, and is a long way from doing so.**

 **Secondly...look at Kakashi, Itachi, Gai, and the list goes on. Yeah, they were born during times of war, but so what? They were much younger when they became shinobi and are still stronger than these three are now. I see no problem with having Team 7 get stronger, especially if the next generation is supposed to improve upon the last. I think that the Konoha 11 generation was underpowered until much later in comparison to the younger mastery of Kakashi and Itachi's generations. Since Kakashi is Team 7'** **s teacher, I believe they would have been so much stronger if he had actually done his job.**

 **Alright! Good review, but I just wanted to clarify my thought process. On with the chapter! (Current poll results at the end of the chapter).**

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I sadly own nothing of Naruto. I only own my OC and any original techniques that I based off other people's techniques. :)**

* * *

 **Growth**

Raiga roared in pain as a dozen serpents lashed out, sinking their venomous fangs into his hands. Kiba clattered to the ground, its wielder immobilized by the stinging poison that was beginning to invade his body. The swordsman's shaky gaze jerked downward, seething at the grin on the genin's smug face. _'How does this brat already have a summoning contract?! And such a powerful one at that!'_ Raiga dispelled the thoughts from his mind, focusing on the unhealthy amounts of venom that were beginning to enter his bloodstream. He began to focus his chakra, releasing a roar as it exploded outwards in a burst of violent lightning. Kirai was knocked back roughly, skittering across the unforgiving surface of Tazuna's unfinished bridge. The broad genin groaned in pain as he forced himself to his feet, regaining a fighting stance as a panting Raiga stomped towards him, blades in hand once more.

"I don't know where you learned that technique, boy," growled the irate shinobi, brandishing his jagged blades threateningly, as arcs of electricity began to dance around their lethal edges. "But summons won't be enough to put me down!" Kirai quickly pulled out his hachiwari from their place at his waist, barely stopping Kiba from taking off his head. Raiga grinned ominously at the smaller ninja as lightning licked at the boy's sweating face. "You are far too weak and inexperienced to take on a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Let me show you what true power looks like!" The air became static as the man began to amass his chakra. Kirai spared a quick glance around him, confirming that his team had engaged the other two enemy shinobi while Sakura had taken up position next to the bridgebuilder. "Eyes on your opponent! Lightning Release: Lightning Fang!" Kirai returned his attention to Raiga, only to get knocked back by a mind-numbingly painful bolt of lightning. Blinking spots obscured his field of vision, forcing him to quickly leap to his feet to prepare for the follow-up attack. He nearly collapsed as his ears began ringing, falling to one knee as Raiga began cackling madly.

"Kirai! Get out of there!" yelled Kakashi, his eyes wide as he watched Kiba's wielder thrust his swords skyward, allowing a lance of electricity to envelop the legendary blades before directing the deadly lightning towards his disoriented student. Kirai fumbled through a set of hand signs, allowing him to hastily tunnel into the bridge and out the underside, falling into the murky waters below. The genin cringed as the cold liquid slammed against his electrical burns but managed to dig through his bag for a rebreather. With it firmly in place, he began to slowly swim through the deep waters for shore. After a couple minutes, several dark shapes quickly obscured his light as they rocked towards the bridge awkwardly. _'A fleet of rowboats? Why are they going towards the battle?'_ Curiosity peaked, the young shinobi heaved himself to the surface, gently raising his head above the waves to get a better look.

"Remember, boys," came a weaselly voice. "When Zabuza finishes off the old man and his guards, we finish his little team off with Raiga's help. Got it?" The boats full of thugs roared in agreement, weapons lifted high in victory. Kirai's eyes widened before he began making his way back to the bridge. _'I have to warn sensei! We won't be able to fight off goons along with shinobi!'_

* * *

Kakashi sagged in relief as the dust lifted to reveal a tunnel through the bottom of the bridge. "Nice work, Rai-kun," muttered the jōnin as he returned his attention to an amused Zabuza. The sounds of Naruto and Mito's continued to rage to his right while Raiga leaped through the hole after his student. "It seems that I don't have time to play anymore, Zabuza. Let's finish this quickly." Kakashi bit his thumb and swiped it over his forearm, summoning a pure white tantō. It began to glow a faint white as he pinned the shocked swordsman with a mocking grin. "Zabuza, meet the White Light Chakra Sabre, signature weapon of the White Fang of the Leaf. It will be the last thing you ever see." The Konoha shinobi pounced, speeding towards the offset rogue nin. Zabuza heaved his blade forward, tensing his bulging muscles as he quickly deflected Kakashi's quick and practiced strokes.

"You are very skilled with that blade, copycat," mocked the legendary blade wielder. "But you are not a swordsman by any means." With a grunt of exertion, Zabuza pushed his opponent off before performing a low sweep with his leg, kicking Kakashi's legs out from underneath him. The bandaged shinobi hefted Kubikiribōchō over his shoulder, bisecting the jōnin in two. The browless man smirked before his eyes flew open as a wet thunk broke the momentary silence. Kakashi stood behind him, Sharingan eye spinning with his blade jammed into Zabuza's spine.

"I may not be a stellar swordsman…but I am a feared shinobi for a reason, Zabuza," reminded the silver-haired ninja coldly. His clone dispersed in a burst of lightning, stray bolts jabbing into Zabuza's body. However, it quickly reverted to water, bringing a grin to Kakashi's face. "However…there is a reason you are called a _ninja_ swordsman." A raspy chuckle reverberated around him as mist began to obscure his vision once more. He sighed as he readied his chakra blade, eyes peeled for any attacks.

"Well played, Kakashi," applauded Zabuza, his distorted voice resounding unnaturally. "But…you have forgotten a key rule of the shinobi. Always remember the mission." Kakashi's brow furrowed in confusion before realization set in. _'The bridgebuilder!'_ He turned on his heel, dashing towards Sakura's location. As they came into view, he saw Zabuza rearing up behind Tazuna with a crazed look in his eye. _'I don't have time to block! Just…have…to make it!'_ He pushed Tazuna and Sakura aside, throwing himself in front of the blade. He stayed like that for several seconds before cracking open his eyes to see what the holdup was.

"I'm disappointed, sensei," ground out Kirai as he wrestled with Zabuza for dominance. "I would have thought…a legendary shinobi as yourself…could put down a second-rate like Zabuza no problem." The masked jōnin smiled tiredly as Kirai finally broke away from his opponent, leaping to his side. The smile on the genin's face quickly disappeared. "There are about fifty thugs approaching the bridge with Gatō now. They are going to kill Zabuza and Haku with Raiga's help when they get here." The jōnin sighed in exasperation. If it rained, it poured. He fixed Zabuza with a fierce glare when he suddenly felt an ominous presence erupt behind him. He whipped around to find red chakra swirling up into the sky from Haku's ice dome. _'The seal…is it breaking?! No…this is just the fox's chakra. It's still contained…but why is it leaking out?!'_ Kakashi turned to his frozen students.

"Sakura! Take these suppression tags and place them on Naruto!" he ordered, shoving three sealing tags into the kunoichi's quivering hands. "Hurry!" With that final bark, the girl disappeared into the mist towards the indicated direction. Kakashi whirled back around, eyes focused on Zabuza as he spoke to Kirai. "Can you hold him for a few minutes, Kirai?" The boy nodded, arms quivering from the brief clash with the larger swordsman. "Good. This will take some time to prepare." He dabbed his fingers in one of his deeper cuts, holding back a wince as he began to unravel a scroll, expertly twirling it around his body.

"So…you want to finish this, Kakashi? Let's dance," growled Zabuza in excitement, shooting towards a grim-faced Kirai. However, he was not prepared for the boy to parry his blade and cut his thigh. The genin had been so direct before that the trickery was unexpected, leaving Zabuza open to a quick combo of vicious slashes. With a loud grunt, he lashed out behind him, forcing Kirai to leap back several feet to evade the dangerous strike. "Nice to see that the next generation understands the intricacies of combat. But, as Raiga said before, you do not have the power necessary to match me." His hand's blurred through hand seals before he cupped his hand around his mouth. _'Water Release: Water Bullet Technique!'_ A powerful stream of water flew from the ex-Anbu's mouth, slamming into Kirai. However, the genin quickly devolved into a mass of writhing snakes that disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Misdirection is a shinobi's greatest ally," whispered Kirai from behind Zabuza, smiling even as he was bisected. His smug face quickly melted into goopy mud that weighed down Kubikirikōchō's already-heavy mass. "Always look underneath the underneath, Zabuza. Or else…" A cacophony of loud barks erupted with the earth as several ninken of various sizes latched onto a shocked Zabuza. He cried out in pain, finding himself unable to move as Kirai wavered into view from the mist. "You may find yourself switching roles from the predator to the prey." The boy snatched the man's blade from him, hefting it onto his shoulder with slight difficulty. Before Zabuza could protest the action, the faint sound of a thunderclap shattered the atmosphere as the mist was forcefully dispelled. In its place, there reigned a static blanket that emanated from a determined Kakashi who was holding crackling lightning in his hand.

"Your arrogance was your downfall," chided the Konoha shinobi as he rose from his squatting position. He reared his hand back, Sharingan eye spinning hypnotically once more. "Goodbye, Zabuza. And enjoy your stay in hell." With that final word, Kakashi launched himself across the short distance between him and Zabuza. Kirai watched in satisfaction before he felt the air suddenly drop in temperature. A thick sheet of reflective ice formed next to Zabuza, a silhouette forming within it. _'Damn! We forgot about Haku! I need to stop her! I don't have enough muscle to throw this sword, but I may be able to throw myself with its momentum. Here goes nothing!'_ With his plan in place, Kirai heaved the zanbatō over his head, tucking himself as it clanged against the bridge. He planted his feet on the rooted blade, using it like a springboard to launch himself at Haku. Zabuza's partner had nearly fully formed and Kakashi was not going to be able to stop in time. So…Kirai did the only logical thing he could. He snagged Haku's kimono and slithered around the blade of pure lightning, allowing it to impale Zabuza through the chest. The boy growled in anger, hurling his new opponent against the side railing.

"You idiot! Why would you throw yourself away for such a monster?! Especially one who only sees you as a tool," raged the genin, pouncing on his surprised opponent. He pounded on the shinobi's pretty face, oblivious to the wheezing coughs of Zabuza from behind him. His anger satisfied, Kirai rose from the pulverized Haku, blood dripping from his knuckles. He heard quick footsteps and turned to find Naruto and Sakura staring at Haku in horror. Kirai quirked an eyebrow. "Where's Mito-chan? Is she hurt?" Naruto stiffened while Sakura dropped her head, giving it a slight shake. Their teammate's eyes widened in understanding before he sped off into the slowly dispersing mist, words of denial rebounding over and over again in his head. However, as he skidded to a stop inside Haku's slowly melting house of ice mirrors, his fears were validated by the sight of Mito's still form. Senbon riddled her body like some kind of sick porcupine. Her normally lustrous hair was matted with sweat, mist, and blood, spilling out around her shoulders. Her fair face was set in a content smile, her eyes shut.

"I'm so sorry, Kirai-san," Sakura comforted, her hand resting on the boy's shaking shoulder. "Naruto says she saved him from Haku's last-ditch effort, sacrificing herself. She wanted to let you know…that she respected you as a shinobi and as a friend." Those words broke the dam on Kirai's heart, causing him to collapse next to his beloved teammate's corpse, tears cascading down his grimy face. Loud sobs squeaked out of him, his entire body quivering in heart-wrenching sorrow. For what seemed like hours, he mourned over his teammate. Finally, the tears were spent, and the sorrow slowly morphed into something completely different: rage. Kirai felt a pain in his chest but ignored it as he walked back towards his sensei. A growl built up in his chest at the sound of Raiga's maniacal laughter and the clashing of blades. He began to jog before breaking into a full-blown run. Suddenly, he felt a jolt lance through his body, filling with euphoric energy. Wispy black chakra began to circle around him as he blurred past his shocked sensei. Zabuza and Raiga whipped their heads toward him, their blades locked in a clash. Raiga realized with fear who was the boy's target but found himself unable to move due to the pair of hands that had latched onto him from underneath the concrete bridge

"You…you are the reason she's gone!" roared the orange-haired genin, unknowingly channeling the leaking yin chakra into his eyes. Raiga found himself lost in the gaze, a massive snake rearing up behind the vengeful genin. The boy's hands disappeared, replaced by wispy snakes made from the ominous chakra. "Rot in hell! Raging Shadow Snakes!" The ethereal serpents bit into Raiga's body, but he remained paralyzed from the disturbing stare of his opponent. _'A monster…this boy wields power that neither Zabuza or I could hope to match. And yet…he has no mastery of it.'_ The man finally broke the stare, mouth agape in a silent scream from the toxic chakra that began to invade his system. He began to laugh self-mockingly at his fate.

"Well…I seem to have made a grave mistake, huh?" he noted, blood leaking from his mouth and wounds. "I never thought…a greenhorn genin…would be my undoing." The dying man spat out a glob of blood, panting from the loss of energy he was experiencing. He shakily tossed his swords at Kirai's feet, causing the angry glare to be accompanied by a confused tilt of the genin's head. "Your power…it is great. You will be a feared shinobi…and everyone will know that I was the one who launched you into your journey for power. Never forget…where your strength lies." The man leaned forward tapping the boy's chest weakly. "Your ideals…your heart…they were more powerful than my body, chakra, and mind. You have shown…that bonds are the greatest strength one can have…because they bring out the hidden strength in all of us." With that final declaration, Raiga glanced back at a somber Zabuza, nodding to his former comrade before collapsing to the ground with a wet gurgle. He lay still, his energy expended, pondering his choice. _'Live, boy…be not only my successor…but my improvement. Be the shinobi I never could be…'_ With those final thoughts, Raiga relaxed and released a final, gurgling breath.

* * *

Gatō ground his teeth in barely controlled annoyance. Raiga almost had finished off Zabuza, but that tall boy had come roaring out of nowhere, finishing him off with a terrifying move. And the swordsman had the gall to toss him his treasured blades?! _'That idiot! Good thing he's dead, or I would have finished him off myself!'_ Clearing his throat, the business magnate regained the bridge's attention as he began to speak.

"Well, well," he began, his face smug and sneering. "It seems that I have the upper hand. Though you may be shinobi, all of you are worn out and injured while my men are more numerous and fresher. Raiga may have failed, but we will complete the job and take over this wretched land!" His ragtag army let loose a roaring cheer in agreement, brandishing their motley of weapons as they began to stride forward confidently. The small one and the masked ninja stepped forward, but quickly halted their movement as the tall boy from earlier stepped forward, Kiba in hand. His matted hair covered his eyes, making Gatō gulp in fear. Not one to show weakness, he quickly covered it up with bravado. "What are you doing, boy?! Do you know who I am? I have entire armies at my beck and call! No one will be able to get a hold on my empire. I will soon reign as king!" The boy stopped, his body shaking. However, Gatō's assumption of it being from fear quickly faded as a smile spread out over the boy's face and giggles began to resound around the goons ominously. The boy's head snapped up, an evil glint in his eyes.

"You call yourself a king…but you only rule through fear and money," mocked Kirai as he stood to his full height. He leveled Kiba at the midget, his smile turning into a maniacal grin. "You have no true power! An Academy student could beat you! And I…I'm no Academy Student." Storm clouds rumbled overhead as the air turned static once more. Electricity began to arc around the wicked blades, wreathing Kirai in a mockery of black lightning as thunder began to sound all around the gathered troops. The genin slowly raised his blades skyward, gaze still locked with Gatō's. "I…am your executioner. Lightning Release: Black Raiga." Bolts of lightning shot downwards, fusing with the shadowy chakra before lancing outwards. The army of thugs was quickly enveloped in a field of deadly electricity, their pained screams drowned out by the raging storm. Gatō stumbled forward, stray sparks causing his hairs to stand on end. After the painful cacophony had subsided, the shipping magnate slowly turned away, cringing at the state of his army. Every single man was twitching in pain on the ground, their weapons scattered among them. The midget turned back around, Kirai's face now mere centimeters from his own.

"Eep!" squeaked Gatō, losing all sense of control as he collapsed in fright, distinct smells wafting up from his unconscious form. The genin standing over him wrinkled his nose in distaste. He turned back around, smiling sadly at the shocked faces of his comrades. Naruto, Sakura, and Tazuna were gobsmacked, while Kakashi merely looked exasperated. The genin hobbled forward, exhaustion and injuries finally catching up with him.

* * *

 **...So, yeah. Kirai has a legendary sword. So what? Naruto has a massive chakra fox and Mito has swirly demon eyes. Not OP, but he will be at some point. This chapter was shorter than others, but they will be significantly longer from here on out (10K or so).**

 **Here are the current poll results:**

 **~Shizuka: 8**

 **~Fu: 4**

 **~Ameno/Hana: 2**

 **~Tayuya: 1**

 **Pretty obvious where this is going, and I am excited about it. After the next chapter, I will create a new poll with the 2 highest-voted girls and you can revote on that one. To vote, go to the forum link from my profile page (Vault of Konohagakure) and find the appropriate topic. All of these would be interesting romances to write, especially Shizuka or Ameno since they aren't canon. With all that said, until next time...keep it zesty.**

 **~Sir Zesto**


	10. Hell

**A/N: So...school sucks right now. Homework plus a part-time job is making it difficult to write on a consistent basis. So, while I am going to try and post every four weeks, it may end up being more like six. This is because I don't have time to plan out each chapter's plot and improvise as I go. Once summer hits, I may have more time and can put out more chapters, but once again, no promises.**

 **Also, just a reminder, the poll will be closing. I will take it down Saturday to allow for any last-minute votes. Read the end-note for a more thorough explanation.**

* * *

 **Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine. Maybe it will be. I'll start a Kickstarter, get funding, approach Kishimoto-sensei...*begins rambling incoherently***

* * *

 **Hell**

It had been several weeks since Team 7's mission to Nami no Kuni. Now, they were back in Konoha, training and completing missions. What was interesting to the entire team was that Kakashi had abstained from teaching them any new techniques, telling them that only they reached chūnin would they receive any more. Of course, this did not bother any of the genin since their jutsu libraries were quite substantial already. Naruto and Mito continued to hone their skills in private, however, neglecting team training for private tutors. Kakashi stared at an irate Kirai, sighing for the third time in the last two minutes. _'Kirai respects his teammates, expecting the same in return. However, those two are out of his league at the moment.'_ Kirai was currently channeling his frustration into the fūinjutsu array that he was applying to a medium-sized scroll, his focus razor-sharp in the midst of his raging emotions. He had mastered all the basic chakra control exercises and insisted on completing his technique training before moving on to intermediate and advanced control.

"Finally!" cried the genin in victory as he surveyed his seal once more before turning to the litany of items laid out before him. They were organized in order of difficulty to seal from left to right: five shuriken, five kunai, a lance, and then the Kiba blades Kirai had kept from the bridge. He had unfortunately lost his hachiwari during the battle and had not been able to recover them. It mattered little to him now, however, as he had the Kiba blades to work with when he finished his current training. He had bought a ninjatō was just to tide him over until he could wield them properly without blacking out. The blade was currently strapped to his back with a harness Yūgao had given him.

"What kind of seal is that, Rai-kun?" Kakashi inquired, lazily strolling over to his charge. Kirai held up a hand before grabbing all of the shuriken and placing them in the array. After a brief spurt of chakra, they puffed away, now held in the seal. The kunai and lance quickly followed. After that, he picked up the scroll and turned towards the trio of training posts. With a grunt, he swept his arm forward with the scroll as the five shuriken came tearing out, slamming into the first target. Another swipe led to the appearance of the five kunai, and a third sent the lance through the final target, embedded two inches deep. The genin nodded in satisfaction before turning to his curious sensei.

"It is a combination of the Enclosing and Unsealing Techniques," he explained, gesturing to the fading array. "Depending on the amount of chakra that is sent into the array, certain weapons will come out in a sequence. There are five total slots with each one fitting twenty items at maximum capacity. However, the final stress test is to see if the seal can hold high-grade or legendary weapons. That's why the Kiba is here." Having finished, the boy sat back down and grabbed his blades. He flinched from the light electric current that raced through his limbs before he set the two swords in the middle of the complex seal. He began channeling chakra into it, but it took several seconds before the blades were sucked in. Kirai leapt to his feet, cheering ecstatically…until Kakashi tackled him to the ground as the scroll exploded, sending Kiba end over end into a nearby trunk. Kirai gaped in horror while Kakashi chuckled weakly at the disaster.

"Well…at least you know it _can_ work, right?" he pointed out, getting a deadpan stare from his student. The elite shinobi ducked his head despondently, muttering about ungrateful students and their lack of respect. Kirai walked over to the legendary blades and easily extricated them from the tree. They disappeared in twin plumes of smoke as the genin effortlessly stored them in his gloves with a flick of his wrists. Kakashi raised a brow. "Impressive. Summoning: Lightning Flash Blade Creation, right?" Kirai nodded, pride evident in his grin, gaining an eye smile in return. "It takes a lot of trial and error to attune seals to minute movements like that. Well done, Kirai." The boy blushed before turning around to resume his training. Kakashi's mask crinkled from his smile before he glanced up into the sky at the shrill cry of a hawk. _'Finally! I was wondering how long it would take for this meeting to happen. Time to wow the masses!'_ Kakashi looked back down at Kirai who was staring at his sensei with an expectant expression. "I am needed by the Hokage. I should not be long. Later." The jōnin blurred away, leaving Kirai to his own devices. The genin turned around, bit his thumb, and quickly whipped through hand signs before slamming his right hand on the ground. Moments later, a large anaconda emerged.

"Greetings, Kirai-sama," hissed the serpent as it bowed its head. "I am Assaku **(A/N: squeezing/pressure)** , and I have been assigned as your instructor for the unique summoning techniques of Ryūchi Cave. Please demonstrate them one at a time, calling out their names." Kirai gave a curt nod before facing the field. He created several shadow clones that lined up in front of him. Sending chakra into the summoning seals on his arms, he thrust them forward.

"Binding Snake Glare Spell!" he announced as two anacondas twice Assaku's size deftly coiled around the mud clone, squeezing it until it dispersed into smoke. After dispelling the snakes, he focused his chakra into a different portion of the seal before slamming his hands on the ground. "Chakra Absorbing Snakes!" Several thin black snakes slithered from his sleeves, wrapping around the target. The clone began to struggle but soon dispelled from lack of chakra. Kirai then took deep breaths as he prepared his next technique. Chakra flowed from the summoning seals into his mouth as he crouched low to the ground. "Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes!" Multitudes of serpents flew from his mouth at their target. The clone quickly tossed a handful of shuriken at them, causing them to lurch upwards to form a makeshift wall before they fell atop the clone, smothering it. They all vanished, leaving Kirai out of breath. Before he could continue, Assaku halted him with a loud hiss.

"That is enough. The clan has vouched for the other three," confirmed the snake before it turned its gaze onto two of the clones. "You two, perform Twin Snakes Mutual Death Technique." The clones assented, turning to face each other. One grabbed the other's hands before forcing the necessary hand signs. Two snakes shot from each clone's sleeve, winding around the two before biting them in the neck, causing them to instantly dispel. Assaku nodded. "Satisfactory. The only issue is that you need to master the breathing techniques for the Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes technique. Otherwise, you merely need to practice. You are progressing quite nicely. Tomorrow, Akaio **(red tail)** will supervise your remaining techniques. Until we meet again, Kirai-sama." With a plume of smoke, the summon returned to his home, leaving a worn-out Kirai in the training ground by himself.

"I think that's enough training for today," he muttered, stretching out his limbs before grabbing his equipment and heading out. Training Ground 3 was west of the main gate, which was the closest entrance to Konoha. There were forty-five in total, starting with 0, which was more a nature preserve and ending with 44, more commonly known as the Forest of Death. Training Ground 1 was directly west of the gate and they circled the entire village's perimeter with several clustered behind the Hokage Monument for jōnin and Anbu use only. Each clan also had training grounds within Konoha's walls that had been installed to better protect their members from abduction. Kirai knew all of this but didn't really know if there were large differences between the normal training grounds. _'I was going to go see for myself, but training wore me out more than usual today. Maybe I should just go get some new clothes? Let's do that.'_ And so, with his new mission in mind, Kirai set off, unaware of the eyes that followed him as he left.

~0~

Naruto groaned as his face slammed into the wooden countertop at Ichiraku's. The Hokage had been particularly fierce in his training lately, and while he appreciated it, it drove him mad. Everything was no about perfection. His taijutsu and bōjutsu had become a major focus and he had quickly advanced into the first stages of the advanced forms. In his free time, he would perfect his elemental and support ninjutsu while diving into a very unique area of ninjutsu theory: space-time. The concepts fascinated him, but he needed advanced training that just was not currently available to him.

"Tough training day?" inquired Ayame, getting a drawn-out groan from the ramen addict. The waitress giggled at the childish attitude before she plopped three bowls down in front of the blonde. "Dad says these are on the house. Good work, Naruto-kun." The genin immediately brightened, throwing his arms up with a loud cheer before he began to devour his meal. In between bites, he regaled Ayame with his progress and path to becoming Hokage. All too soon, his filling meal was complete. He thanked Ayame and her father, paid with a generous tip, and sped off to find his teammates. However, the way in which he found one was not what he had in mind.

"Get out, devil's spawn! Keep those tainted rags, but never come back!" roared a store owner as two bouncers heaved Kirai out the door, sending him sprawling across the dusty street with a paper bag in hand. People stopped to send snide remarks or swift kicks at the young shinobi but immediately stopped as he rose to his feet with a glare. He flashed his headband at the wary civilians.

"I'm a shinobi now," he warned, dusting himself off. "If you continue to assault me, I _will_ report you to Hokage-sama. I hate all of you just as much as you hate me, so leave me be." With that, the boy turned on his heel and made his way towards the back of the village where the barracks were located. People sent him scathing glares and venomous insults as he passed, leaving Naruto enraged. He remembered Kirai talking about the hatred of both civilians and shinobi toward him, but he did not realize it was this bad. He tried to reach his friend but quickly lost him to the jostling masses. He scoffed, drawing the unwanted attention of the people around him. He quickly dispelled their annoyed sneers with a hard glare, moving to follow his teammate.

"Kirai! Kirai, wait up!" he shouted, his eyes focused on the fading silhouette. Moments later, the genin disappeared from sight altogether. Naruto's head whipped from left to right, searching for his friend to no avail. With a despondent sigh, the exuberant youth dropped his head and turned towards home. _'They seem to have an even greater hate for Kirai than me. I know he has people that look out for him, but even Hokage-jiji seems to ignore his problems. Is his mother really that hated?'_ Naruto shook his head to clear away the thoughts, raising his head to find Ichiraku's before him. He strode in, taking his reserved spot at the bar.

"Naruto-kun is here, tou-san!" announced Ayame as she smiled down at their favorite customer. Her father, Teuchi, turned around with a happy smile on his weathered face. Naruto sighed happily as he grinned back. The Ichiraku family was the only reason he hadn't ended up going insane or hungry before the Hokage took him in. His love for ramen had begun and blossomed here since it was one of the few places that even allowed him to eat there. _'But Kirai doesn't have anyone like that…'_ Naruto sighed again at the realization, his demeanor drooping. Ayame immediately noticed, leaning against the counter to confront her little brother figure. "Naruto, what's the matter?" The blonde glanced up before turning his eyes to watch Teuchi make his ramen.

"One of my teammates, Kirai, is not well-liked by the village," explained the youth, his eyes narrowing as he saw Teuchi twitch at the genin's name. Ayame seemed to have noticed it as well, releasing a long-suffering sigh. The ramen chef turned towards the two, a steaming bowl of noodles in his hands. "Do you know him, Teuchi-oji?" The man nodded sadly, leaning against the counter as he responded.

"I knew his mother, Kagura," he revealed, a far-away look in his now opened eyes. "She was one of the top shinobi in the village. However, many of the other kunoichi put her down because of her unique talents and interests. She was a master of anything sharp and a budding genjutsu mistress. The tipping point, however, came when she was denied training by the one of the Sannin, Tsunade-sama. After that, she slowly began to slip away." A soft smile appeared on the man's face. "Several months before she went rogue, she came into our booth with a lumbering giant named Bando. I could see in her eyes that she loved him dearly, and I could see the same from him. We quickly grew to love seeing him, especially since he was responsible for the ever-growing bump on Kagura-chan's stomach." Naruto's eyes widened as he finished slurping up the last remnants of his ramen. Teuchi sighed sadly as he grabbed the bowl, staring into its emptiness morosely. "However, she suddenly disappeared, and we were informed two weeks later that she had gone rogue. After that, the Kyūbi attacked the village and she slowly faded from my mind." The man turned to face Naruto as his daughter set down the boy's second helping. "The boy has never come in, but I have seen him stop in front of the stall several times, debating whether or not to enter. In the end, he always walks past with a conflicted look on his face." Naruto nodded before diving into his ramen, his mind racing from the chef's story. _'So, she wasn't hated like me at first. And she seemed to have a great life here once Bando-san showed up. So…why did she leave?'_

~0~

Kakashi stood at the Memorial, staring at the many names etched into its surface. When he had returned to the training ground, he had left Kirai in, he found it abandoned. The meeting had taken longer than expected due to an interruption from Iruka that was quickly quashed by those who had helped train Kirai. The silver-haired jōnin sighed, scratching his head. The boy's progress was amazing, no doubt. But the problem was that he was paired with a genius Uchiha and an Uzumaki Jinchūriki. The standards he had to meet were ones only a genius could match, and for all his ingenuity, Kirai was no genius.

"Oh, Obito," sighed Kakashi, his single eye locked on the reason he came every day. "My team is nothing like ours. There is no glue to hold the two warring parts together. Naruto is like you and Kirai like me, but they don't butt heads. Mito is nothing like Rin, and I can't even hope to match sensei. Looks like I got more than I bargained for, eh, Obito?" After several more minutes of silence, the elite shinobi finally shifted, glancing over his shoulder at the trees behind him. "It's been a while, Jiraiya-sama." A large man leaped from the trees, his spiky white hair whipping behind him in a long ponytail.

"It has, Kakashi," agreed the legendary ninja, his onyx eyes shimmering happily as they swept over the training field nostalgically. "It is good to be back. Sensei recalled me for the Chūnin Exams. Wanted me to be a proctor or something like that." Kakashi's eyes widened in shock at the news as he turned to fully face his sensei's mentor. The big man grinned widely. "So, how's the genin team? Are they all everyone says they are?" Kakashi's eye narrowed. Due to the nature of his team, he was always cautious when people asked that question.

"What have you heard?" he asked calmly, causing the older man's mirth to disappear, a tight frown replacing it. The masked ninja sighed sadly as he stared at the village in the distance. "I thought as much. Can't say I'm surprised. When you have the last Uchiha, the strongest Jinchūriki, and the son of a traitor on your team, it's bound to start talk of all sorts." He smiled proudly, his eye turning upwards. "However, they are quickly turning into spectacular shinobi, especially Kirai. He has blown any and all expectations of him out of the water. Did you know he went toe-to-toe with Kurosaki Raiga and Momochi Zabuza?" Jiraiya's grin returned as he took a set, Kakashi following his actions.

"Really? That is quite impressive. Give me all the details," demanded the sage. And so, Kakashi began to regale the legend with accounts of his team. The entire time, he was unaware of the proud looks Jiraiya was sending him. _'Kakashi, it is good to see you back to your old self again. These kids are just what you need.'_

~0~

"You entered us into the Chūnin Exams? In our rookie year?" Kirai questioned incredulously. Kakashi nodded vigorously, his eye upturned in his signature smile. He remembered the horrified shock on everyone's faces when he mentioned his team, starting the inclusion of all three rookie teams in the upcoming exams. No rookie genin team had entered the exams since Jiraiya's team, and the only rookie team to ever be promoted all at once as Team Hiruzen, which later became the Legendary Sannin. All of this flew through Kirai's mind before he sighed in irritation, grinding the heel of his palm into his forehead. "Sensei, why aren't we waiting until the next one? Experienced teams of elite genin are the only participants while the others get field promotions or recommendations from their sensei. We don't have the necessary experience." Mito nodded in agreement while Naruto gave his signature grin, his eyes shining in determination.

"Don't worry, Kirai!" he assured his teammate, giving him a thumbs-up. "We've been training our butts off to master all of our techniques. We will definitely ace this exam!" Kakashi chuckled, nodding along with his exuberant pupil. Mito raised an eyebrow at the blonde, turning to look at a skeptical Kirai.

"Kirai…it's your call," she offered, holding up the paper form Kakashi had given them. "Out of the three of us, you are by far the most level-headed. I will side with you, whatever your decision is." The large boy hummed in thought, closing his eyes with a frown stretching across his youthful face. So many factors played into the exam. One of the benefits of living in the shinobi barracks was that you could hear things from veterans. And Kirai knew from what had started to be discussed about the upcoming exams was that they were going to be more difficult than usual. For the first time in several decades, all Five Great Shinobi Countries would be participating in the same Chūnin Exam. This included Iwagakure and Kumogakure, the two shinobi villages with the most volatile relations with Konoha, who were each sending a single team. All of this worried Kirai immensely.

"I need some time to think about this," Kirai admitted, turning abruptly to leave. He ignored the indignant cries of Naruto, his mind occupied with the rampaging thoughts that whizzed through his head. _'With Suna, Kiri, Kumo, AND Iwa at the same exam, it will be uber-competitive. While we are probably the strongest out of the three rookie genin teams in Konoha, even we would be overshadowed by teams that are probably at least two years our senior. Many of them will have already taken some version of this in either their own village or in a minor shinobi village. Even the home-field advantage will not give us enough of a leg-up on the experience these teams will have. ARGH! Why does sensei have do stuff like this all the time?!'_ Kirai groaned aloud, slouching against the wall, garnering the unwanted attention of a passer-by.

"Hey!" shouted an oddly dressed girl. Her black hair was cropped short around her face, framing a pair of pupilless black eyes and a confident smirk. "What's the matter, stupid leaf? Your kaa-chan forbid you from kunai practice because it's too dangerous?" The two boys on either side of her chuckled at the joke. Kirai raised an eyebrow, scanning them all briefly. They were dressed in the standard Iwa shinobi uniform minus the flak jackets that signified a chūnin or jōnin rank. The boy to the girl's right was humongous, standing taller than Kirai by almost three or four inches and weighing almost twice as much. His hair was hidden by his red bandana-style forehead protector, and the majority of his pudgy face was occupied by a round nose that overshadowed two pinprick eyes. The third boy was very small and thin with curly blond hair spilling over his head. Two bright blue eyes shone mischievously from underneath the springy locks. His forehead protector was nowhere to be seen, oddly enough.

"I never knew my mother," Kirai noted, standing up to his full height. The two smaller children gawked at his muscular build as he strode closer, his gaze flitting between all three. "So you are the team from Iwagakure then." He heard two pairs of footsteps quickly coming from behind, causing him to turn. Naruto and Mito stared at the team with hard eyes, slipping into their shinobi modes. "These are my teammates. We make up Konoha's Team 7." The smaller boy gaped even more, leaning over to whisper into the girl's ear. She gasped, her eyes narrowing at whatever information her teammate has just divulged.

"So you're the infamous genin team that took down Kurosuki Raiga," she realized, causing the Konoha shinobi to tense up. She smirked, jabbing her pointer finger at each one in time with her speech. "Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Kirai, no surname." She leaned closer to the taller boy, licking her lips. "I may have to make an exception to my no-Konoha-shinobi policy. You have quite the reputation, Rai-kun." The affectionate nickname caused Naruto to quirk his head and Mito to growl at the girl. How dare she talk to her teammate so familiarly! Didn't he realize what she was trying to do?

"Well, well, well," came another loud voice, drawing everyone's attention. They all turned to find another genin team approaching them, also led by a kunoichi. Her spiky red hair spilled out of a white bandana, reaching her mid-back. Her skin was dark, accentuating her molten gold eyes that sparked with fire. She wore the standard Kumo outfit with added chest protection atop it. To her left, there was a boy that could have been her brother, except for his spiky white hair and onyx eyes. A lollipop stick lazily moved around his mouth as he stared at each individual, assessing them. Lastly, there was a fair-skinned boy with spiky brown hair. He seemed nervous about the situation, shooting his teammate worried glances. "If it isn't the infamous Team Stone: Akatsuchi, Aotsuchi, and Kurotsuchi. What fitting names for a bunch of stone people." The lollipop-sucking boy snorted while the timid one merely sighed at his teammate's antics. The now-named Kurotsuchi growled at the demeaning name but was halted by another group joining the conversation.

"Let us not forget the glorious Team B of Karui, Omoi, and K," mocked a nasally voice. A group of Kiri genin appeared, led by a white-haired boy with a purple muscle shirt. His teeth were as sharp as razors, signifying his status as a ninja swordsman trainee, along with the massive zanbatō that was strapped to his back. To his left, there stood a timid boy with massive goggles that covered almost his entire face. He also had a huge sword strapped to his back, although it two handles for some odd reason. The final boy was much older than they were and looked relatively normal without a sword or sharpened teeth. The leader chuckled maliciously. "What, was Team A unavailable or something?" Kirai sighed as the plaza they were standing in had become a veritable battleground. Naruto quirked his head as he processed the situation.

"Who are all these idiots? Are they why you were so worried about the chūnin exams, Kirai?" he questioned, gaining everyone's attention. He started cleaning out his ear with his pinky finger, having lost interest in the petty squabbles. "Don't look that strong to me." Mito hummed in agreement, turning her head away in similar disinterest. The other three team leaders growled at being dismissed, taking fighting stances. Team 7 immediately formed up, surprising the more experienced teams with their quick response.

"Let me make something perfectly clear to all of you," Mito spoke up, her eyes shining blood red, causing their opponents to shiver at the sight of the infamous Sharingan. "My team and I may not be the most experienced, but we make up for it. Don't underestimate us, especially since we have an Uchiha on our team." Kirai's hand met his face with an audible slap, a groan escaping his lips. _'She just couldn't help herself…'_ he thought, shaking his head. Clapping was heard from behind Team 7 as their sensei walked into the clearing as well, a proud smile on his face.

"Well said, my adorable little genin," he praised, ruffling their hair before setting his eyes on the three foreign shinobi teams. Their respective sensei had also arrived, causing Kakashi to sober. "Kitsuchi of the Bloody Stone…the Feline Fatale, Nii Yugito…and the Second Coming of the Demon, Hōzuki Mangetsu. Welcome to Konohagakure." The three sensei nodded in response, equally cold looks on their faces. All three had met Kakashi on the battlefield, each failing to overcome his battle prowess that made him into such a legend during the Third Shinobi War. "I suggest you reign in your students. As Mito-chan made clear, they are quite skilled and can hold their own against your more experienced students." Mangetsu inclined his head respectfully, Yugito remained silent, and Kitsuchi scoffed.

"Whatever, Copy Ninja," he mocked, setting his hand upon Kurotsuchi's shoulder. "Just keep your Uchiha and Namikaze-lookalike away from my genin." He sighed at Kurotsuchi's hungry gaze that was fixed on Kirai. "The third one appears to have caught my daughter's eye, though, so that is acceptable." The mentioned genin balked at the statement, causing Naruto to guffaw loudly and Mito to scowl at the Iwa kunoichi before turning away with a huff. Kitsuchi looked down at his team, jerking his head over his shoulder. "Our rooms are ready. Let's go." With that, they walked off, leaving the other three genin teams to stare at each other. Mangetsu stepped forward after a brief moment of silence, walking up to Kirai with a serious look on his pale face.

"I heard that Raiga-senpai bestowed Kiba to you," he noted in a soft voice. Kirai tensed in response, quickly summoning the two blades from the seals on his gloves. He held them out to the infamous swordsman, who took them reverently. Mangetsu admired them before smiling down at the boy. "This is an amazing gift. Raiga-senpai was known for being quite sporadic, but we was very skilled and a good judge of talent as well. He was the one who began helping Suigetsu and I gather the next generation of swordsmen." He gave Kirai the blades back, nodding at Kakashi. "The Godaime has deigned Kirai-kun worthy of wielding the blades due to Raiga naming him the successor. Zabuza returned with Haku after their last escapade, so we can finally begin rebuilding the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. In fact, Zabuza has offered to come here with the other three members to train Kirai-kun to better wield the blade. He will be a part of Mizukage-sama's guard when she journeys here for the final portion." Kakashi raised an eyebrow, humming in thought.

"I will discuss it with Hokage-sama. Thank you for the offer, Mangetsu-san," he thanked politely, turning to the Kumo shinobi next as the Kiri team walked away. "Yugito-san, please stop staring at my student like that. While you are a beautiful woman, he far too young to consider a serious relationship." Naruto blushed heavily while the Kumo jōnin scowled at the masked shinobi.

"Whatever, Hatake," she snapped rudely, her eyes returning to Naruto's red face. "Something is familiar about him, that's all. Besides the fact that he looks so similar to Raikage-sama's greatest rival." Kakashi narrowed his eye at her, snapping his book closed. He straightened up from his slouched position and extracted his second hand from his pocket. _'If she reveals the similarities between Naruto and sensei…that will be a very volatile discussion.'_ Yugito noted the man's unease, narrowing her eyes further before scoffing. "Come on, kiddies. We have to sign in to our hotel as well." With that, the plaza was finally clear of foreign shinobi. Kakashi sighed, rubbing the back of his head in exasperation. He looked down at his students, who were staring after a team each. Naruto had his eyes on the Kumo jōnin, Mito was glaring after the Iwa kunoichi, and Kirai pondered Mangetsu's words as he left. _'Things have started to become very interesting. I'll have to report all of this to Hokage-sama.'_ He quirked a brow as Kirai spun around, startling his teammates.

"I have decided, guys," he announced, a clenched fist thrust in front of him. He grinned widely, a dangerous glint in his icy eyes. "We're going to enter the chūnin exams and kick these guys' butts. We'll show them that we aren't to be underestimated and that Konoha is the strongest village there is!" Naruto cheered at the declaration while Mito smirked confidently. They made their own fists, touching them knuckle-to-knuckle with each others. The entire scene brought a hidden smile to their sensei's masked face. _'It seems this is just what they needed.'_ He glanced up to the sky, exhilaration filling his being. _'I can't wait to see what they are going to accomplish.'_

~0~

A week later, Kirai's eye was twitching uncontrollably as he stared at the odd spectacle before him. A dense crowd of chūnin hopefuls crowded around a door guarded by two boys within the Academy's halls, muttering as they shoved one another for a better view. The reason for Kirai's spasms was twofold. Firstly, one of the two boys looked exactly like one of the gate guards, Izumo. He hadn't bothered changing a single aspect of his appearance. This meant the second figure was Kotetsu, considering the two were inseparable. The second reason was due to the fact that Team 7 only had ascended a single flight of stairs, but the room sign said "301," which was the designated exam room. His eyes focused on a smirking Mito and Naruto, who had begun to walk towards the mass of their peers.

"Oh, no you don't!" ordered Kirai, creating a shadow clone. The two boys snatched their teammates' collars, dragging towards the next stairwell. "This is part of the test designed to weed out the unworthy candidates. Let's avoid interfering." Naruto groaned in annoyance, puffing his cheeks out indignantly. Mito wrenched herself out of her teammate's hands, scowling heavily.

"Fine! We'll let the simpletons flounder," she acknowledged, causing her teammate to sigh in relief as his clone released Naruto before dispelling. The three genin strode towards the staircase, chatting quietly as they discussed what the test could consist of. After they reached the third floor, Naruto cheered at the large sparring area, leaping down from the balcony impatiently.

"I bet this is where we are going to take the exam!" he predicted, twirling around to assess his surroundings. Mito huffed at her hyperactive teammate, hopping down after him with Kirai right behind her. She kept walking, while Kirai stopped momentarily next to Naruto to grab his awed friend once more, dragging him off in pursuit of their Uchiha teammate. They soon reached a long hallway of classrooms, ending with one at the very end through a set of double doors. And right outside those two doors stood their sensei and a figure all too familiar to the rookie team.

"Quickly, Kakashi!" roared the spandex-wearing jōnin that stood before the exasperated cyclops. "Let us engage in youthful competition before our students arrive!" The two jōnin flitted their gazes toward the incoming Team 7, causing Kakashi to perk up with a relieved sigh. His companion didn't seem too put off, however, greeting the genin with a shining smile and a thumbs-up. "Greetings, youthful children! It is I, Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey, Might Guy!" Naruto shivered in fear, Kirai facepalmed, and Mito…observed the situation curiouslly.

"Sensei, what kind of…youthful competition were you two about to partake in?" she questioned curiously. Naruto froze, turning with an ominous creak to stare at his female teammate with unadulterated fear. He snagged her collar before launching her through the double doors, ignoring her shocked struggles and screams. Kirai goggled at the blonde's actions, taking off after his airborne teammate with a nod towards Kakashi. Both jōnin sensei stared at Naruto, respect in their gazes as they wondered as to how horrible his punishment was going to be.

"Totally worth it instead of watching you and Master Intense Brows go at it in whatever weird contest he would have conjured up," intoned Naruto emotionlessly as he walked after his two teammates, resigning himself to the feminine wrath that was about to befall him. He missed the relieved slouch in Kakahsi's shoulders but definitely heard the horrified sobs of Guy. The terrifying sounds caused Naruto to quicken his pace, choosing the lesser of two evils in his no doubt enrage teammate.

"I'm going to string him up by both intestines from a spiked mace jammed into the ceiling!" roared Mito as Naruto entered, causing her spinning Sharingan to lock on him furiously. In an instant, the blonde found himself straddled by the beautiful girl. "Give me a long list of reasons to not make good on my promise!" She slowly began to pull out a pair of kunai as sweat began to collect on her target's brow. However, she stopped as a wave of foreboding killing intent washed over the area. Everyone snapped their eyes to the source, focusing on the enraged form of Hinata Hyūga that was staring down the last Uchiha. The raven-haired kunoichi gulped in fear as she raised her hands, allowing her weapons to return to the pouch. She then rose sluggishly to her feet before zipping behind a groaning Kirai, who was massaging his temples in a vain effort to alleviate the oncoming headache.

"Why must you two always be at each other's throats?" he wondered aloud, looking upwards as if the answer would fall from the sky into his lap. Sadly, the only thing that fell into his lap was the familiar form of Kurotsuchi. He stared at her coy smile for almost a full minute, unaware of how everyone's gaze had turned to him instead in amazement, anger, curiosity, and jealousy. He finally threw his head back into the table behind him, muttering incoherently about "pretty girls" and how it wasn't the "time or place to figure this out." The Iwa kunoichi chuckled at her target's plight, shaking her head.

"I warned you, Rai-kun," she sung, slithering up his body. The boy shivered before launching to his feet, escaping her grasp and landing on the table he had been leaning against mere moments ago. She licked her lips, pupilless eyes wide. "You have caught my interest, meaning there is no escape until I know _everything_ about you." This time, it was Kirai who darted behind Mito, who was glaring at the foreign genin irately for basically assaulting her teammate. She stomped towards her, causing an identical glare to appear on Kurotsuchi's pale face. "What do you want, Uchiha? Can't you see I'm trying to stake my claim? You had your chance." Mito's eyes narrowed dangerously as she shoved her face into her opponent's.

"I am more worried about the fact that you are making him a target and distracting him from this exam, rock _princess_ ," spat the clan heiress, smirking at the smoldering rage that lanced across Kurotsuchi's face at the demeaning usage of her hated nickname. "You can have all the fun you want with him when this is all over." An indignant yelp sounded from the party in question as he darted off elsewhere, refusing to continue listening to his teammate barter for his time and wellbeing. He ended up next to the team of Kumo shinobi. K shot him a look of sympathy, Karui glared at him, and Omoi…continued muttering under his breath worriedly.

"And if they fight, it will spark an international incident between Konoha and Iwa," he mused, beads of sweat pouring down his face. "And that means we will be dragged into the war on either side. And then, Kiri and Suna will pick a side, starting the Fourth Great Shinobi War. And then…" Kirai raised his eyebrows at the impressive rant that boy was on, returning his gaze to the boy's teammates.

"Is he always seeing the worst in every situation?" he questioned, getting two exasperated nods in response. "I see. I am sorry for your loss of sanity." K nodded gratefully while Karui drooped in despair at her plight. She straightened up, returning her gaze to Mito and Kurotsuchi. The two had stopped their shouting match, focusing on an older Konoha genin that was talking with the rookie teams earnestly.

"They say that all the great ninja are and are quirky," noted the dark-skinned redhead, a fond smirk splitting her face. "Our sensei is one of them. He never says a single thing in a normal way and always insists on teaching others his style." She shook her head before looking back at Kirai. "In all honesty, I think the three of us will be sucked into it one day, whether we like it or not." Kirai hummed, his mind racing at the little nugget of information Karui had just let slip. _'If their sensei is male, that means Yugito-san is not their actual sensei and more of a liaison. That means their sensei is either the Yondaime Raikage or…'_ A massive plume of smoke interrupted the boy's thoughts, drawing his attention to the front of the classroom.

"Alright, maggots!" barked a deep voice that sent shivers down Kirai's spine. The craggy, scarred face of Morino Ibiki grinned out at the group of genin ferally. "Let's get started." With those simple words, a single thought went through everyone's heads. _'This is going to be hell.'_

* * *

 **A lot of quick introductions in this one, but I enjoyed writing it. We are finally passed the obnoxious training arcs and whatnot for at least a couple of chapters. Also, Kurotsuchi is not meant to be a thing. I just thought it would be fun for Mito to have a rival outside the village and for Kirai to have a fangirl. Unless you guys REALLY want it to go somewhere, I'm just going to use her for comedic relief.**

 **So, here are the current poll standings:**

 **~Shizuka: 8**

 **~Fu: 5**

 **~Hana: 3**

 **~Ameno: 2**

 **~Tayuya: 1**

 **Also, don't worry. I have plans to incorporate all of these characters into major pairings in the story somehow. Also, if you guys have any suggestions for pairings for the sensei/support characters, feel free to PM me or drop a review.**

 **So, here is how the next poll will work. From there, I will be taking the top TWO choices and creating a new poll. I originally was going to do three, but there wasn't as much engagement as I thought and three would just make it more difficult in the long run. Between those two. I will count up the current total number of votes they have and assign a value when I take the poll down Saturday night. This means, if the poll finished now, Shizuka would get 2 votes at the beginning and Fu would get 1 (I am not giving my process because I don't want flak or flames).**

 **If there is a tie between two people for second place, I will make the final choice. I will take into account several other factors, which WILL include personal bias (them's just the breaks, tbh). So, make sure to get your votes in even if you don't think your favorite has a chance of winning. You never know what will happen.**

 **With all that out of the way, I'm done. So, until next time...**

 **Keep. It. Zesty.**

 **~Sir Zesto**


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